High-efficiency photocatalysts are crucial for the removal of organic pollutants and environmental sustainability. In the present work, we report on a new low-temperature hydrothermal chemical method, assisted by ultrasonication, to synthesize disruptive plasmonic ZnO/graphene/Ag/AgI nanocomposites for solar-driven photocatalysis. The plasmonic nanocomposites were investigated by a wide range of characterization techniques, confirming successful formation of photocatalysts with excellent degradation efficiency. Using Congo red as a model dye molecule, our experimental results demonstrated a photocatalytic reactivity exceeding 90% efficiency after one hour simulated solar irradiation. The significantly enhanced degradation efficiency is attributed to improved electronic properties of the nanocomposites by hybridization of the graphene and to the addition of Ag/AgI which generates a strong surface plasmon resonance effect in the metallic silver further improving the photocatalytic activity and stability under solar irradiation. Scavenger experiments suggest that superoxide and hydroxyl radicals are responsible for the photodegradation of Congo red. Our findings are important for the fundamental understanding of the photocatalytic mechanism of ZnO/graphene/Ag/AgI nanocomposites and can lead to further development of novel efficient photocatalyst materials. © 2019 Elsevier B.V.

High-performance photodetectors operating in the near-infrared (0.75−1.4 μm) and short-wave infrared (1.4−3.0 μm) portion ofthe electromagnetic spectrum are key components in many optical systems.Here, we report on a combined experimental and theoretical study of squaremillimeter array infrared photodetectors comprising 3 million n⁺−i−n⁺ In Pnanowires grown by MOVPE from periodically ordered Au seed particles. Thenominal i-segment, comprising 20 InAs_0.40P_0.60 quantum discs, was grown byuse of an optimized Zn doping to compensate the nonintentional n-doping.The photodetectors exhibit bias- and power-dependent responsivities reachingrecord-high values of 250 A/W at 980 nm/20 nW and 990 A/W at 532 nm/60nW, both at 3.5 V bias. Moreover, due to the embedded quantum discs, thephotoresponse covers a broad spectral range from about 0.70 to 2.5 eV, ineffect outperforming conventional single InGaAs detectors and dual Si/Gedetectors. The high responsivity, and related gain, results from a novel proposed photogating mechanism, induced by the complex charge carrier dynamics involving optical excitation and recombination in the quantum discs and interface traps, which reduces the electron transport barrier between the highly doped n⁺ contact and the i-segment. The experimental results obtained are in perfect agreement with the proposed theoretical model and represent a significant step forward toward understanding gain in nanoscale photodetectors and realization of commercially viable broadband photon detectors with ultrahigh gain. © 2019 American Chemical Society.

Nanowires offer remarkable opportunities for realizing new optoelectronic devices because of their unique fundamental properties. The ability to engineer nanowire heterostructures with large bandgap variations is particularly interesting for technologically important broadband photodetector applications. Here we report on infrared photodetectors based on arrays of InP nanowires with embedded InAsP quantum discs. We demonstrate a strongly reduced dark current in the detector elements by compensating the unintentional n-doping in the nominal intrinsic region of the InP nanowires by in-situ doping with Zn, a crucial step towards realizing high-performance devices. The optimized array detectors show a broad spectral sensitivity at normal incidence for wavelengths from visible to far-infrared up to 20 μm, promoted by both interband and intersubband transitions. Optical simulations show that the unexpected normal incidence response at long wavelengths is due to non-zero longitudinal modes hosted by the nanowires. © 2018 Elsevier B.V.

A near-unity unselective absorption spectrum is desirable for high-performance photovoltaics. Nanowire arrays are promising candidates for efficient solar cells due to nanophotonic absorption resonances in the solar spectrum. The absorption spectra, however, display undesired dips between the resonance peaks. To achieve improved unselective broadband absorption, we propose to enclose distributed Bragg reflectors (DBRs) in the bottom and top parts of indium phosphide (InP) nanowires, respectively. We theoretically show that by enclosing only two periods of In_0.56Ga_0.44As/InPDBRs, an unselective 78% absorption efficiency (72% for nanowires without DBRs)is obtained at normal incidence in the spectral range from 300 nm to 920 nm. Under oblique light incidence, the absorption efficiency is enhanced up to about 85% at an incidence angle of 50º. By increasing the number of DBR periods from two to five, the absorption efficiency is further enhanced up to 95% at normal incidence. In this work we calculated optical spectra for InP nanowires, but the results are expected to be valid for other direct band gap III-V semiconductor materials. We believe that our proposed idea of integrating DBRs in nanowires offers great potential for high-performance photovoltaic applications. ©2018 Håkan Pettersson et al., published by De Gruyter, Berlin/Boston.

The development of future 3D-printed electronics relies on the access to highly conductive inexpensive materials that are printable at low temperatures (<100 C). The implementation of available materials for these applications are, however, still limited by issues related to cost and printing quality. Here, we report on the simple hydrothermal growth of novel nanocomposites that are well suited for conductive printing applications. The nanocomposites comprise highly Al-doped ZnO nanorods grown on graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs). The ZnO nanorods play the two major roles of (i) preventing GNPs from agglomerating and (ii) promoting electrical conduction paths between the graphene platelets. The effect of two different ZnO-nanorod morphologies with varying Al-doping concentration on the nanocomposite conductivity and the graphenedispersity are investigated. Time-dependent absorption, photoluminescence and photoconductivity measurements show that growth in high pH solutions promotes a better graphene dispersity, higher doping levels and enhanced bonding between the graphene and the ZnO nanorods. Growth in low pH solutions yields samples characterized by a higher conductivity and a reduced number of surface defects. These samples also exhibit a large persistent photoconductivity attributed to an effective charge separation and transfer from the nanorods to the graphene platelets. Our findings can be used to tailor the conductivity of novel printable composites, or for fabrication of large volumes of inexpensive porous conjugated graphene-semiconductor composites. © 2018 IOP Publishing Ltd.

Semiconductor nanowires have great potential for realizing broadband photodetectors monolithically integrated with silicon. However, the spectral range of such detectors has so far been limited to selected regions in the ultraviolet, visible and near-infrared. Here, we report on the first intersubband nanowire heterostructure array photodetectors exhibiting a spectrally resolved photoresponse from the visible to long-wavelength infrared. In particular, the infrared response from 3-20 mm is enabled by intersubband transitions in low-bandgap InAsP quantum discs synthesized axially within InP nanowires. The intriguing optical characteristics, including unexpected sensitivity to normal incident radiation, are explained by excitation of the longitudinal component of optical modes in the photonic crystal formed by the nanostructured portion of the detectors. Our results provide a generalizable insight into how broadband nanowire photodetectors may be designed, and how engineered nanowire heterostructures open up new fascinating opportunities for optoelectronics.

Semiconductor nanowire (NW) technology has emerged as a key facilitator of novel optoelectronics e.g. solar cells, photodetectors and LEDs. The functional wavelength range of current NW-based photodetectors is typically limited to the visible/ near-infrared region. In this work, we present the first ever reported electrical and optical characteristics of longwavelength IR photodetectors based on large square millimeter ensembles of vertically grown and processed InAsP/InP heterostructure NWs grown on InP substrates1 . More specifically, the MOVPE-grown NWs comprise single or multiple InAsP quantum discs (QDiscs) axially embedded in an n+-i-n+ geometry. The NWs are contacted together in a vertical geometry by uniformly depositing a thin insulating SiO2 layer, selective etching of the oxide from the tip of the NWs followed by sputtering of ITO as a common top contact to all NWs. Using Fourier transform photocurrent spectroscopy, we demonstrate a photoresponse extending from the visible to far infrared1,2. In particular, the infrared response from 3-20 μm is enabled by intersubband transitions in the lowbandgap InAsP quantum discs synthesized axially within the InP NWs. The detector elements exhibit an unexpected sensitivity to normal incident radiation, apparently in contradiction to well-known selection rules for intersubband transitions in quantum wells. From in-depth 2D and 3D optical simulations we attribute this result to an excitation of the longitudinal component of optical modes in the photonic crystal formed by the nanostructured portion of the detectors. Key advantages with the proposed design include a large degree of freedom in choice of material compositions, enhanced optical resonance effects due to periodically ordered NW arrays and the compatibility with silicon substrates. We believe that our novel detector design offers a route towards monolithic integration of compact and sensitive broadband III-V NW detectors with main-stream silicon technology which could seriously challenge existing commercially available photodetectors.

Utilizing Sb-based bulk epilayers on large-scale low-cost substrates such as GaAs for fabricating infrared (IR) photodetectors is presently attracting significant attention worldwide. For this study, three sample series of GaAsxSb1−x, In1−xGaxSb, and InAsxSb1−x with different compositions were grown on semi-insulating GaAs substrates by using molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) and appropriate InAs quantum dots (QDs) as a defect-reduction buffer layer. Photoluminescence (PL) signals from these samples were observed over a wide IR wavelength range from 2 ÎŒm to 12 ÎŒm in agreement with the expected bandgap, including bowing effects. In particular, interband PL signals from InAsxSb1−x and In1−xGaxSb samples even at room temperature show promising potential for IR photodetector applications. © 2018, The Author(s).

Nanowire array ensembles contacted in a vertical geometry are extensively studied and considered strong candidates for next generations of industrial scale optoelectronics. Key challenges in this development deal with optimization of the doping profile of the nanowires and the interface between nanowires and transparent top contact. Here we report on photodetection characteristics associated with doping profile variations in InP nanowire array photodetectors. Bias-dependent tuning of the spectral shape of the responsivity is observed which is attributed to a Schottky-like contact at the nanowire-ITO interface. Angular dependent responsivity measurements, compared with simulated absorption spectra, support this conclusion. Furthermore, electrical simulations unravel the role of possible self-gating effects in the nanowires induced by the ITO/SiO_x wrap-gate geometry. Finally, we discuss possible reasons for the observed low saturation current at large forward biases.