Abstract
We experimentally and numerically demonstrate the transverse electrical response produced by circularly-polarized light with normal incidence observed as transverse photo-induced voltage across the plasmonic metasurface made of triangle holes. The measured transverse photo-induced voltage is consistent with the calculated acting force on electrons in the metasurface by using the Maxwell's stress tensor. The polarity of voltage reverses as the incident spin (light helicity) switches from right-handed circular polarization to left-handed circular polarization. The origin of the spin-dependent voltage sign is the broken symmetries of the electric and magnetic fields in the triangle hole due to the opposite circular polarizations. The demonstrated results open up many opportunities in further investigating the second-order nonlinear optical effects of metamaterials and metasurfaces, and developing applications in high-speed photodetectors, polarimeters, and optical sensors.
Highlights
By the interaction of a light source with conductive material such as a metal film, electromagnetic fields of light beam will apply Lorentz force on the conduction electrons, resulting in photo-induced voltage (PIV) across the film
We refer the phenomena to be longitudinal photo-induced voltage (LPIV) or transverse photo-induced voltage (TPIV) effects, respectively. This phenomenon has been explained as photon drag effect in semiconductors, which was first experimentally observed with the CO2 laser excitation on holes and electrons in bulk germanium crystals [2,3]
The plasmonic metasurfaces made of periodic triangle holes have been studied to generate spin-dependent transverse photo-induced voltage with normally incident light, by breaking the symmetry of electromagnetic field in the triangle hole structure for circularly polarized light
Summary
By the interaction of a light source with conductive material such as a metal film, electromagnetic fields of light beam will apply Lorentz force on the conduction electrons, resulting in photo-induced voltage (PIV) across the film In this case, manipulating the amplitude and sign of the produced voltage by wavelength, polarization or incidence angle is the main purpose, which is of interest for the development of fast response photodetectors and sensors. We refer the phenomena to be longitudinal photo-induced voltage (LPIV) or transverse photo-induced voltage (TPIV) effects, respectively This phenomenon has been explained as photon drag effect in semiconductors, which was first experimentally observed with the CO2 laser excitation on holes and electrons in bulk germanium crystals [2,3]. These results offer many possibilities in future studies of the second-order nonlinear optical effects in metasurfaces and the applications in integrated photodetectors, polarimeters, and optical sensors
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