Circularly polarized light-sensitive, hot electron transistor with chiral plasmonic nanoparticles

Area of Science:

• Optoelectronics
• Plasmonics
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Quantitative detection of circularly polarized light (CPL) is crucial for advanced applications like high-density optical communication and volumetric imaging.
• Current CPL detection methods suffer from high loss and low efficiency due to the need for multiple components like polarizers and varied wavelengths.

Purpose of the Study:

• To demonstrate a highly efficient transistor capable of detecting CPL.
• To overcome the limitations of existing CPL detection technologies.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a transistor using chiral plasmonic nanoparticles with a high Khun's dissymmetry (g-factor) and indium gallium zinc oxide (InGaZnO).
• Characterization of the device's performance under visible CPL excitation.

Main Results:

• The device achieved high photoresponsivity exceeding 1 A/W, distinguishing CPL states effectively.
• Attributed performance to hot electron generation in nanoparticles and efficient collection by the semiconducting transistor.
• Demonstrated opto-neuromorphic operation, successfully performing image classification.

Conclusions:

• The developed chiral plasmonic structure offers a pathway for high-performance CPL detectors.
• The strategy enables rational design for CPL detectors and opto-neuromorphic applications based on wavelength and polarization state.