Broad spectral photocurrent enhancement in Au-decorated CdSe nanowires

Laser modification of Au-CuO-Au structures for improved electrical and electro-optical properties

CuO nanomaterials are one of the metal-oxides that received extensive investigations in recent years due to their versatility for applications in high-performance nano-devices. Tailoring the device performance through the engineering of properties in the CuO nanomaterials thus attracted lots of effort. In this paper, we show that nanosecond (ns) laser irradiation is effective in improving the electrical and optoelectrical properties in the copper oxide nanowires (CuO NWs). We find that ns laser irradiation can achieve joining between CuO NWs and interdigital gold electrodes. Meanwhile, the concentration and type of point defects in CuO can be controlled by ns laser irradiation as well. An increase in the concentration of defect centers, together with a reduction in the potential energy barrier at the Au/CuO interfaces due to laser irradiation increases electrical conductivity and enhances photo-conductivity. We demonstrate that the enhanced electrical and photo-conductivity achieved through ns laser irradiation can be beneficial for applications such as resistive switching and photo-detection.

Enhanced Photocurrent of the Ag Interfaced Topological Insulator Bi2Se3 under UV- and Visible-Light Radiations

Bi₂Se₃ is a topological quantum material that is used in photodetectors, owing to its narrow bandgap, conductive surface, and insulating bulk. In this work, Ag@Bi₂Se₃ nanoplatelets were synthesized on Al₂O₃(100) substrates in a two-step process of thermal evaporation and magnetron sputtering. X-ray diffractometer (XRD), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), Raman spectroscopy, and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) revealed that all samples had the typical rhombohedral Bi₂Se₃. Field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM)-energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDS), XPS, and HRTEM confirmed the presence of the precipitated Ag. The optical absorptance of Bi₂Se₃ nanoplatelets in UV-visible range decreased with the Ag contents. Results of photocurrent measurements under zero-bias conditions revealed that the deposited Ag affected photosensitivity. A total of 7.1 at.% Ag was associated with approximately 4.25 and 4.57 times higher photocurrents under UV and visible light, respectively, than 0 at.% Ag. The photocurrent in Bi₂Se₃ at 7.1 at.% Ag under visible light was 1.72-folds of that under UV light. This enhanced photocurrent is attributable to the narrow bandgap (~0.35 eV) of Bi₂Se₃ nanoplatelets, the Schottky field at the interface between Ag and Bi₂Se₃, the surface plasmon resonance that is caused by Ag, and the highly conductive surface that is formed from Ag and Bi₂Se₃. This work suggests that the appropriate Ag deposition enhances the photocurrent in, and increases the photosensitivity of, Bi₂Se₃ nanoplatelets under UV and visible light.

Room temperature single-step synthesis of metal decorated boron-rich nanowires via laser ablation

Hybrid nanostructures, such as those with nanoparticles anchored on the surface of nanowires, or decorated nanowires, have a large number of potential and tested applications such as: gas sensing, catalysis, plasmonic waveguides, supercapacitors and more. The downside of these nanostructures is their production. Generally, multi-step synthesis procedures are used, with the nanowires and the nanoparticles typically produced separately and then integrated. The few existent single-step methods are lengthy or necessitate highly dedicated setups. In this paper we report a single-step and rapid (ca. 1 min) laser ablation synthesis method which produces a wide variety of boron-rich decorated nanowires. Furthermore, the method is carried at room temperature. The synthesis process consists on a filamentary jet ejection process driven by pressure gradients generated by the ablation plume on the rims of the irradiation crater. Simultaneously nanoparticles are nucleated and deposited on the filaments thus producing hybrid decorated nanowires.

Metal Domain Size Dependent Electrical Transport in Pt-CdSe Hybrid Nanoparticle Monolayers

Thin films prepared of semiconductor nanoparticles are promising for low-cost electronic applications such as transistors and solar cells. One hurdle for their breakthrough is their notoriously low conductivity. To address this, we precisely decorate CdSe nanoparticles with platinum domains of one to three nanometers in diameter by a facile and robust seeded growth method. We demonstrate the transition from semiconductor to metal dominated conduction in monolayered films. By adjusting the platinum content in such solution-processable hybrid, oligomeric nanoparticles the dark currents through deposited arrays become tunable while maintaining electronic confinement and photoconductivity. Comprehensive electrical measurements allow determining the reigning charge transport mechanisms.

Multiple hybridized resonances of IR-806 chromonic molecules strongly coupled to Au nanorods

Strong coupling of plasmons and molecules generates intriguingly hybridized resonance. The IR-806 molecule is a near-infrared cyanine liquid crystal dye with multiple molecular bands and its tunable absorption spectrum varies dramatically with concentration. In this article, we investigate multiple hybridized resonances of the Au nanorods (AuNRs) strongly coupled to IR-806 molecules. Five hybridized resonance peaks are observed in the extinction spectra of the AuNR@IR-806 hybrids. Two resonance peaks at approximately 840 and 912 nm in the hybrids are reported for the first time. The dependence of the multiple hybridized peaks on the bare plasmon resonance wavelength of AuNRs and the molecular concentration is also demonstrated. The observations presented herein provide a plasmon-molecule coupling route for tuning optical responses of liquid crystal molecules.