Infrared laser induced lateral photovoltaic effect observed in Cu₂O nanoscale film

The large infrared lateral photovoltaic effect (LPE) based on semiconductor structures has been a challenge for a long time because the light in this region is hard to be absorbed. In this study, we report an unusual infrared laser induced LPE observed in sputtered Cu₂O thin films. The maximum open-circuit lateral photovoltage can reach up to a remarkable value of 30.6mV under irradiation of Ti: Sapphire laser emitting 100 fs pulses at 2000 nm with pulse energy of 50 µJ. Temperature gradient induced by infrared laser is introduced to interpret this infrared induced LPV effect. The high position sensitivity reaching 15.3mV/mm and easier fabrication techniques suggests this oxidized film a potential candidate for the novel infrared photodetectors. ©2010 Optical Society of America

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