Photocurrent as a multi-physics diagnostic of quantum materials

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Ma, Qiong, Kumar, Roshan Krishna, Xu, Su-Yang, Koppens, Frank H. L., Song, Justin C. W.
Format: Preprint
Published: 2022
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author Ma, Qiong
Kumar, Roshan Krishna
Xu, Su-Yang
Koppens, Frank H. L.
Song, Justin C. W.
author_facet Ma, Qiong
Kumar, Roshan Krishna
Xu, Su-Yang
Koppens, Frank H. L.
Song, Justin C. W.
contents The photoexcitation life-cycle from incident photon (and creation of photoexcited electron hole pair) to ultimate extraction of electrical current is a complex multi-physics process spanning across a range of spatio-temporal scales of quantum materials. While often viewed through a device-technology lens, photocurrent is a key observable of the life-cycle that is sensitive to a myriad of physical processes across these scales. As a result, photocurrent is emerging as a versatile probe of electronic states, Bloch band quantum geometry, quantum kinetic processes, and device characteristics of quantum materials. This review outlines the key multi-physics principles of photocurrent diagnostics. In particular, we describe how the fundamental link between light-matter interaction and quantum geometry renders photocurrent a wavefunction-sensitive probe capable of resolving bandstructure and characterizing topological materials. We further highlight the sensitivity of the photoexcitation life-cycle to relaxational processes which in turn enables photocurrent to disentangle distinct types of carrier scattering that can range from femtosecond to nanosecond timescales. We survey the intrinsically nonlocal character of photocurrent collection that allows new types remote sensing protocols and photocurrent nanoscopy. These distinctive features underscore photocurrent diagnostics as a novel multi-physics probe for a growing class of quantum materials with properties governed by physics spanning multiple spatio-temporal scales.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2210_13485
institution arXiv
publishDate 2022
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Photocurrent as a multi-physics diagnostic of quantum materials
Ma, Qiong
Kumar, Roshan Krishna
Xu, Su-Yang
Koppens, Frank H. L.
Song, Justin C. W.
Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics
The photoexcitation life-cycle from incident photon (and creation of photoexcited electron hole pair) to ultimate extraction of electrical current is a complex multi-physics process spanning across a range of spatio-temporal scales of quantum materials. While often viewed through a device-technology lens, photocurrent is a key observable of the life-cycle that is sensitive to a myriad of physical processes across these scales. As a result, photocurrent is emerging as a versatile probe of electronic states, Bloch band quantum geometry, quantum kinetic processes, and device characteristics of quantum materials. This review outlines the key multi-physics principles of photocurrent diagnostics. In particular, we describe how the fundamental link between light-matter interaction and quantum geometry renders photocurrent a wavefunction-sensitive probe capable of resolving bandstructure and characterizing topological materials. We further highlight the sensitivity of the photoexcitation life-cycle to relaxational processes which in turn enables photocurrent to disentangle distinct types of carrier scattering that can range from femtosecond to nanosecond timescales. We survey the intrinsically nonlocal character of photocurrent collection that allows new types remote sensing protocols and photocurrent nanoscopy. These distinctive features underscore photocurrent diagnostics as a novel multi-physics probe for a growing class of quantum materials with properties governed by physics spanning multiple spatio-temporal scales.
title Photocurrent as a multi-physics diagnostic of quantum materials
topic Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2210.13485