Abstract
Abstract We theoretically and numerically demonstrate that the spontaneous parity-time (PT) symmetry breaking phase transition can be realized respectively by using two independent tuning ways in a tri-layered metamaterial that consists of periodic array of metal-semiconductor Schottky junctions. The existence conditions of PT symmetry and its phase transition are obtained by using a theoretical model based on the coupled mode theory. A hot-electron photodetection based on the same tri-layered metamaterial is proposed, which can directly show the spontaneous PT symmetry breaking phase transition in photocurrent and possesses dynamical tunability and switchability. This work extends the concept of PT symmetry into the hot-electron photodetection, enriches the functionality of the metamaterial and the hot-electron device, and has varieties of potential and important applications in optoelectronics, photodetection, photovoltaics, and photocatalytics.
Highlights
Non-Hermitian quantum mechanics, as an extended class of Hermitian quantum mechanics, has drawn a considerable attention in the past two decades, as it can possess real eigenvalues provided that its Hamiltonian is parity-time (PT)-symmetric, i.e. the Hamiltonian can commute with the PT operator [1,2,3,4]
We propose a tri-layered metamaterial that is composed of periodic array of subwavelength metamolecules consisting of radiating and nonradiating metaatoms made of metal-semiconductor Schottky junctions
The tri-layered metamaterial is composed of square lattice of unit cell of radiating and nonradiating metaatoms, which have identical resonant frequencies and interact with each other through near-field coupling
Summary
Non-Hermitian quantum mechanics, as an extended class of Hermitian quantum mechanics, has drawn a considerable attention in the past two decades, as it can possess real eigenvalues provided that its Hamiltonian is parity-time (PT)-symmetric, i.e. the Hamiltonian can commute with the PT operator [1,2,3,4]. Some intriguing lasers utilizing PT symmetry have been theoretically and experimentally realized [23,24,25,26] This kind of PT-symmetric non-Hermitian system can experience the spontaneous PT-symmetry breaking phase transition when its degree of non-Hermiticity, which is usually indicated by an external parameter, exceeds some certain threshold, which is referred to as the exceptional point at which the eigenvalues and the corresponding eigenvectors coalesce [1,2,3,4]. Some hot-electron photodetection based on metamaterials have been theoretically and experimentally proposed and demonstrated [42, 43]. A hot-electron photodetection based on the same tri-layered metamaterial is theoretically and numerically demonstrated, which can exhibit the spontaneous PT-symmetry breaking phase transition in photocurrent and can be dynamically tuned and switched with light. This work extends the concept of PT symmetry into hot-electron photodetection, enriches the functionality of hot-electron devices and metamaterial, and has lots of potential and significant applications in optoelectronics, photodetection, photovoltaics, and photochemistry
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