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Photo-thermionic effect in vertical graphene heterostructures

Author

Listed:
  • M. Massicotte

    (ICFO-Institut de Ciencies Fotoniques, The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology)

  • P. Schmidt

    (ICFO-Institut de Ciencies Fotoniques, The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology)

  • F. Vialla

    (ICFO-Institut de Ciencies Fotoniques, The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology)

  • K. Watanabe

    (National Institute for Materials Science)

  • T. Taniguchi

    (National Institute for Materials Science)

  • K. J. Tielrooij

    (ICFO-Institut de Ciencies Fotoniques, The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology)

  • F. H. L. Koppens

    (ICFO-Institut de Ciencies Fotoniques, The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology
    ICREA—Institució Catalana de Recerça i Estudis Avancats)

Abstract

Finding alternative optoelectronic mechanisms that overcome the limitations of conventional semiconductor devices is paramount for detecting and harvesting low-energy photons. A highly promising approach is to drive a current from the thermal energy added to the free-electron bath as a result of light absorption. Successful implementation of this strategy requires a broadband absorber where carriers interact among themselves more strongly than with phonons, as well as energy-selective contacts to extract the excess electronic heat. Here we show that graphene-WSe2-graphene heterostructure devices offer this possibility through the photo-thermionic effect: the absorbed photon energy in graphene is efficiently transferred to the electron bath leading to a thermalized hot carrier distribution. Carriers with energy higher than the Schottky barrier between graphene and WSe2 can be emitted over the barrier, thus creating photocurrent. We experimentally demonstrate that the photo-thermionic effect enables detection of sub-bandgap photons, while being size-scalable, electrically tunable, broadband and ultrafast.

Suggested Citation

  • M. Massicotte & P. Schmidt & F. Vialla & K. Watanabe & T. Taniguchi & K. J. Tielrooij & F. H. L. Koppens, 2016. "Photo-thermionic effect in vertical graphene heterostructures," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 7(1), pages 1-7, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:7:y:2016:i:1:d:10.1038_ncomms12174
    DOI: 10.1038/ncomms12174
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    Cited by:

    1. Liang, Tao & Hu, Cong & Fu, Tong & Su, Shanhe & Chen, Jincan, 2022. "The maximum efficiency enhancement of a solar-driven graphene-anode thermionic converter realizing total photon reflection," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 239(PA).
    2. Shuo Dong & Samuel Beaulieu & Malte Selig & Philipp Rosenzweig & Dominik Christiansen & Tommaso Pincelli & Maciej Dendzik & Jonas D. Ziegler & Julian Maklar & R. Patrick Xian & Alexander Neef & Avaise, 2023. "Observation of ultrafast interfacial Meitner-Auger energy transfer in a Van der Waals heterostructure," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-8, December.
    3. Han, Yuan & Zhang, Houcheng & Hu, Ziyang & Hou, Shujin, 2021. "An efficient hybrid system using a graphene-based cathode vacuum thermionic energy converter to harvest the waste heat from a molten hydroxide direct carbon fuel cell," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 223(C).

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