A plasmonic field-enhanced photodetector is disclosed. The photodetector absorbs surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) by using a light absorbing layer having a conduction band and a valence band in which an energy is split, the SPPs being generated by combining surface plasmons (SPs) with photons of a light wave, and generates photocurrent based on the absorbed SPPs.

The present disclosure provides a semiconductor heterojunction. The semiconductor heterojunction includes a bottom semiconductor, a top semiconductor and an electrode substrate. An upper surface of the bottom semiconductor includes a first facet. A lower surface of the top semiconductor includes a second facet, and the lower surface of the top semiconductor is contacted with the upper surface of the bottom semiconductor. The electrode substrate is disposed below the bottom semiconductor.

An infrared detection film includes a gate electrode, a gate insulating layer, a majority-carrier channel layer, at least one drain terminal, at least one source terminal, and a photovoltaic semiconductor layer. The gate insulating layer is formed on the gate electrode. The majority-carrier channel layer is formed on the gate insulating layer. Each of the at least one drain terminal and the at least one source terminal is disposed on the majority-carrier channel layer and is spaced apart from the gate electrode. The photovoltaic semiconductor layer is disposed on an exposed portion of the majority-carrier channel layer exposed between the at least one drain terminal and the at least one source terminal.

A terahertz wave detection device includes a low-dimensional electron system material formed on a substrate; and a first electrode and a second electrode opposingly arranged on a two-dimensional plane of the low-dimensional electron system material. The first electrode and the second electrode are made of metals having different thermal conductivity. An 8-element array sensor includes eight terahertz wave detection devices aligned in an array. The terahertz wave detection device includes carbon nanotube film; a first electrode disposed on one side of the carbon nanotube film; and a second electrode disposed on the other side of the carbon nanotube film. The first electrode and the second electrode have different thermal conductivity.

A near infrared light sensor includes a 2D material semiconductor layer on a substrate, a tunneling layer on the 2D material semiconductor layer, and first and second electrodes on opposite edge regions of an upper surface of the tunneling layer. The 2D material semiconductor layer may be a TMDC layer having a thickness in a range of about 10 nm to about 100 nm. The tunneling layer and the substrate may each include hBN.

A split electrode vertical cavity optical device includes an n-type ohmic contact layer, first through fifth ion implant regions, cathode and anode electrodes, first and second injector terminals, and p and n type modulation doped quantum well structures. The cathode electrode and the first and second ion implant regions are formed on the n-type ohmic contact layer. The third ion implant region is formed on the first ion implant region and contacts the p-type modulation doped QW structure. The fourth ion implant region encompasses the n-type modulation doped QW structure. The first and second injector terminals are formed on the third and fourth ion implant regions, respectively. The fifth ion implant region is formed above the n-type modulation doped QW structure and the anode electrode is formed above the fifth ion implant region.

A three-terminal avalanche photodiode provides a first controllable voltage drop across a light absorbing region and a second, independently controllable, voltage drop across a photocurrent amplifying region. The compositions of the absorbing region and the amplifying region may be optimized independently of each other. In the amplifying region, p-doped and n-doped structures are offset from each other both horizontally and vertically. Directly applying a voltage across a controlled region of the photocurrent path increases avalanche gain by shaping the electric field to overlap the photocurrent density. The resulting high-gain, low-bias avalanche photodiodes may be fabricated in integrated optical circuits using commercial CMOS processes, operated by power supplies common to mature computer architecture, and used for optical interconnects, light sensing, and other applications.

Example photoconductive devices and example methods for using photoconductive devices are described. An example method may include providing a photoconductive device having a metal-semiconductor-metal structure. The method may also include controlling, based on a first input state, illumination of the photoconductive device by a first optical beam during a time period, and controlling, based on a second input state, illumination of the photoconductive device by a second optical beam during the time period. Further, the method may include detecting an amount of current produced by the photoconductive device during the time period, and based on the detected amount of current, providing an output indicative of the first input state and the second input state. The example devices can be used individually as discrete components or in integrated circuits for memory or logic applications.

An infrared detection film includes a gate electrode, a gate insulating layer, a majority-carrier channel layer, at least one drain terminal, at least one source terminal, and a photovoltaic semiconductor layer. The gate insulating layer is formed on the gate electrode. The majority-carrier channel layer is formed on the gate insulating layer. Each of the at least one drain terminal and the at least one source terminal is disposed on the majority-carrier channel layer and is spaced apart from the gate electrode. The photovoltaic semiconductor layer is disposed on an exposed portion of the majority-carrier channel layer exposed between the at least one drain terminal and the at least one source terminal.

A photodetecting device and method of using the same are provided. Light is used to irradiate the optical filter layer of the photodetecting device and positions of the electrons and the holes in the polycrystalline silicon nano-channel layer are rearranged by the light with a wavelength range capable of passing through the optical filter layer. The current between the source and the drain is changed by rearranging the positions of the electrons and the holes, so as to generate a current difference. The intensity of the light is calculated by the current difference.