IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/nat/natcom/v16y2025i1d10.1038_s41467-025-59675-5.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Light-induced quantum tunnelling current in graphene

Author

Listed:
  • Mohamed Sennary

    (University of Arizona)

  • Jalil Shah

    (University of Arizona)

  • Mingrui Yuan

    (University of Arizona
    University of Arizona)

  • Ahmed Mahjoub

    (California Institute of Technology)

  • Vladimir Pervak

    (Am Coulombwall 1)

  • Nikolay V. Golubev

    (University of Arizona)

  • Mohammed Th. Hassan

    (University of Arizona
    University of Arizona)

Abstract

In the last decade, advancements in attosecond spectroscopy have allowed researchers to study and manipulate electron dynamics in condensed matter via ultrafast light fields, offering the possibility to realise ultrafast optoelectronic devices. Here, we report the generation of light-induced quantum tunnelling currents in graphene phototransistors by ultrafast laser pulses in an ambient environment. This tunnelling effect provides access to an instantaneous field-driven current, demonstrating a current switching effect (ON and OFF) on a ~630 attosecond scale (~1.6 petahertz speed). We show the tunability of the tunnelling current and enhancement of the graphene phototransistor conductivity by controlling the density of the photoexcited charge carriers at different pump laser powers. We exploited this capability to demonstrate various logic gates. The reported approach under ambient conditions is suitable for the development of petahertz optical transistors, lightwave electronics, and optical quantum computers.

Suggested Citation

  • Mohamed Sennary & Jalil Shah & Mingrui Yuan & Ahmed Mahjoub & Vladimir Pervak & Nikolay V. Golubev & Mohammed Th. Hassan, 2025. "Light-induced quantum tunnelling current in graphene," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 16(1), pages 1-8, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:16:y:2025:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-025-59675-5
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-59675-5
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-59675-5
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1038/s41467-025-59675-5?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:16:y:2025:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-025-59675-5. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.nature.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.