Broadband, Polarization-Sensitive Photodetector Based on Optically-Thick Films of Macroscopically Long, Dense and Aligned Carbon Nanotubes
- Rice Univ., Houston, TX (United States). Dept. of Electrical and Computer Engineering
- Sandia National Lab. (SNL-CA), Livermore, CA (United States)
- Vanderbilt Univ., Nashville, TN (United States). Dept. of Mechanical Engineering
- Hokkaido Univ., Sapporo (Japan). Graduate School of Information Science and Technology
- Rice Univ., Houston, TX (United States). Dept. of Chemistry
- Rice Univ., Houston, TX (United States). Dept. of Electrical and Computer Engineering; Rice Univ., Houston, TX (United States). Dept. of Physics and Astronomy
Increasing performance demands on photodetectors and solar cells require the development of entirely new materials and technological approaches. We report on the fabrication and optoelectronic characterization of a photodetector based on optically-thick films of dense, aligned, and macroscopically long single-wall carbon nanotubes. The photodetector exhibits broadband response from the visible to the mid-infrared under global illumination, with a response time less than 32 ms. Scanning photocurrent microscopy indicates that the signal originates at the contact edges, with an amplitude and width that can be tailored by choosing different contact metals. A theoretical model demonstrates the photo-thermoelectric origin of the photo-response due to gradients in the nanotube Seebeck coefficient near the contacts. The experimental and theoretical results open a new path for the realization of optoelectronic devices based on three-dimensionally organized nanotubes.
- Research Organization:
- Rice Univ., Houston, TX (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES). Materials Sciences & Engineering Division
- Grant/Contract Number:
- FG02-06ER46308
- OSTI ID:
- 1624596
- Journal Information:
- Scientific Reports, Vol. 3, Issue 1; ISSN 2045-2322
- Publisher:
- Nature Publishing GroupCopyright Statement
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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