Lateral current generation in n-AlGaAs/GaAs heterojunction channels by Schottky-barrier gate illumination

Journal Article · Mon Jan 12 00:00:00 EST 2015 · Applied Physics Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4905661· OSTI ID:22399103

Kawazu, Takuya; Noda, Takeshi; Sakuma, Yoshiki ^[1]; Sakaki, Hiroyuki ^[1]

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1. National Institute for Materials Science, 1-2-1 Sengen, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0047 (Japan)

We observe lateral currents induced in an n-AlGaAs/GaAs heterojunction channel of Hall bar geometry, when an asymmetric position of the Schottky metal gate is locally irradiated by a near-infrared laser beam. When the left side of the Schottky gate is illuminated with the laser, the lateral current flows from left to right in the two dimensional electron gas (2DEG) channel. In contrast, the right side illumination leads to the current from right to left. The magnitude of the lateral current is almost linearly dependent on the beam position, the current reaching its maximum for the beam at the edge of the Schottky gate. The experimental findings are well explained by a theory based on the current-continuity equation, where the lateral current in the 2DEG channel is driven by the photocurrent which vertically flows from the 2DEG to the Schottky gate.

• OSTI ID: 22399103
• Journal Information: Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 106, Issue 2; Other Information: (c) 2015 AIP Publishing LLC; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0003-6951
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
ALUMINIUM ARSENIDES
ASYMMETRY
CONTINUITY EQUATIONS
ELECTRIC CURRENTS
ELECTRON GAS
GALLIUM ARSENIDES
HALL EFFECT
HETEROJUNCTIONS
ILLUMINANCE
IRRADIATION
LASER RADIATION
NEAR INFRARED RADIATION
N-TYPE CONDUCTORS
TWO-DIMENSIONAL CALCULATIONS
TWO-DIMENSIONAL SYSTEMS