• Photonics Research
  • Vol. 11, Issue 11, 1902 (2023)
Shenzhong Chen1, Jinling Yu1、5、*, Xiyu Hong2, Kejing Zhu2, Yonghai Chen3、4, Shuying Cheng1, Yunfeng Lai1, Ke He2、6、*, and Qikun Xue2
Author Affiliations
  • 1Institute of Micro/Nano Devices and Solar Cells, School of Physics and Information Engineering, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou 350108, China
  • 2State Key Laboratory of Low-Dimensional Quantum Physics, Department of Physics, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
  • 3Key Laboratory of Semiconductor Materials Science, Institute of Semiconductors, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100083, China
  • 4College of Materials Science and Opto-Electronic Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
  • 5e-mail: jlyu@semi.ac.cn
  • 6e-mail: kehe@mail.tsinghua.edu.cn
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    DOI: 10.1364/PRJ.494932 Cite this Article Set citation alerts
    Shenzhong Chen, Jinling Yu, Xiyu Hong, Kejing Zhu, Yonghai Chen, Shuying Cheng, Yunfeng Lai, Ke He, Qikun Xue, "Gate voltage control of helicity-dependent photocurrent and polarization detection in (Bi1−xSbx)2Te3 topological insulator thin films," Photonics Res. 11, 1902 (2023) Copy Citation Text show less

    Abstract

    Optical helicity provides us with an effective means to control the helicity-dependent photocurrent in the spin-momentum-locked surface states of topological insulators (TIs). Also, the TIs show potential in polarization detection as an intrinsic solid-state optical chirality detector for easier integration and fabrication. However, the complex photoresponses with the circular photogalvanic effect, the linear photogalvanic effect, and the photon drag effect in the TIs prevent them from direct chirality detection of the elliptically polarized light. Here, by fitting with the theoretical models to the measured photocurrents, the microscopic origin of different components of the helicity-dependent photocurrent has been demonstrated. We show a comprehensive study of the helicity-dependent photocurrent in (Bi1-xSbx)2Te3 thin films of different thicknesses as a function of the light incident angle and the gate-tuned chemical potential. The observation of the light incident angle dependence of the helicity-dependent photocurrent provides us with a polarization detection strategy using a TI thin film without the use of any additional optical elements, and the detection accuracy can be enhanced by gate tuning. Additionally, the Stokes parameters can be extracted by arithmetic operation of photocurrents measured with different incident angles and gating voltages for complete characterization of the polarization states of a light beam. Using this means, we realize the polarization detection and the Stokes parameters analysis with a single device. Our work provides an alternative solution to develop miniaturized intrinsic polarization-sensitive photodetectors.
    Jtotal=Csin2φ+L1sin4φ+L2cos4φ+D,

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    JyCPGE=ACPGEsinθcos2θnω(cosθ+nω2sin2θ)(nω2cos2θ+nω2sin2θ),

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    JyCPDE=ACPDEsin2θcos2θnω(cosθ+nω2sin2θ)(nω2cos2θ+nω2sin2θ).

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    JyLPGE=χE02tptssinθ0sin4φ+χ(t0E0)2cosθ0cos4φ.

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    JyL2=E02cos4φ[(χTzqcosθ)(ts2+tp2cos2θ)+Tqtp2sin2θcosθ].

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    TzT1+(ωτtr)2(ωτtr)2εFm0v02,

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    JyL2=E02cos4φ[χ(ts2+tp2cos2θ)+Tqtp2sin2θcosθ].

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    L1=γsinθsin4φ,

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    L2=τsin2θcosθcos4φ.

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    S0=A2,

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    S1=A2cos2ψcos2φ,

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    S2=A2sin2ψcos2φ,

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    S3=A2sin2φ.

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    Shenzhong Chen, Jinling Yu, Xiyu Hong, Kejing Zhu, Yonghai Chen, Shuying Cheng, Yunfeng Lai, Ke He, Qikun Xue, "Gate voltage control of helicity-dependent photocurrent and polarization detection in (Bi1−xSbx)2Te3 topological insulator thin films," Photonics Res. 11, 1902 (2023)
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