2021/01/14 by Yang Zhang, Liang Fu · 123 citations
Materials Science · Physics and Astronomy · #2D Materials and Applications #Berry connection and curvature #Condensed matter physics #Electric field #Geometric phase #Magnetic field #Optics #Optoelectronics #Photodetection #Photodetector #Physics #Quantum and electron transport phenomena #Quantum mechanics #Responsivity #Terahertz radiation #Topological Materials and Phenomena #cond-mat.mes-hall #cond-mat.mtrl-sci
paper · pdf · doi:10.1073/pnas.2100736118
published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 118(21) (National Academy of Sciences) · 4 pages, 3 figures
arxiv created 2021/01/14 · openalex publication_date 2021/05/17 · arxiv updated 2021/07/07 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05
We propose a method for broadband long-wavelength photodetection using the nonlinear Hall effect in noncentrosymmetric quantum materials. The inherently quadratic relation between transverse current and input voltage at zero magnetic field is used to rectify the incident terahertz or infrared electric field into a direct current, without invoking any diode. Our photodetector operates at zero external bias with fast response speed and has zero threshold voltage. Remarkably, the intrinsic current responsivity due to the Berry curvature mechanism is a material property independent of the incident frequency or the scattering rate, which can be evaluated from first-principles electronic structure calculations. We identify the Weyl semimetal NbP and ferroelectric semiconductor GeTe for terahertz/infrared photodetection with large current responsivity without external bias.