On Microscopic Origin of Photovoltaic Effect in La_(0.8)Sr_ (0.2)MnO_3 Films

The anomalous photovohaic effect was studied in epitaxial La0.8Sr0.2MnO3 films by laser molecular beam epitaxy. It is demonstrated that the signal polarity is reversed when the films are irradiated through the substrate rather than the film. Electron microdiffration and high-resolution imaging reveal that La0.8Sr0.2MnO3 thin film is epitaxially grown on the substrate, and the oriented microdomains run through the thickness of film, forming a columnar structure. Detailed investigations of the distribution of electric potential in the film surface with respect to the location of laser spot suggest that the anomalous photovoltaic response is due to an asymmetry of oriented microdomains in thin film. Under ultraviolet laser irradiation, the electron-hole pairs are excited in the manganese oxide film. The asymmetry of microdomains generates a built-in electric field and induces an asymmetric transport of the excited carriers, and hence a a photo voltage signal is obtained.

Improved photovoltaic effects in Mn-doped BiFeO3 ferroelectric thin films through band gap engineering

As a low-bandgap ferroelectric material, BiFeO3 has gained wide attention for the potential photovoltaic applications,since its photovoltaic effect in visible light range was reported in 2009. In the present work, Bi（Fe, Mn）O3thin films are fabricated by pulsed laser deposition method, and the effects of Mn doping on the microstructure, optical, leakage,ferroelectric and photovoltaic characteristics of Bi（Fe, Mn）O3 thin films are systematically investigated. The x-ray diffraction data indicate that Bi（Fe, Mn）O3 thin films each have a rhombohedrally distorted perovskite structure. From the light absorption results, it follows that the band gap of Bi（Fe, Mn）O3 thin films can be tuned by doping different amounts of Mn content. More importantly, photovoltaic measurement demonstrates that the short-circuit photocurrent density and the open-circuit voltage can both be remarkably improved through doping an appropriate amount of Mn content, leading to the fascinating fact that the maximum power output of ITO/BiFe（0.7）Mn（0.3）O3/Nb-STO capacitor is about 175 times higher than that of ITO/BiFeO3/Nb-STO capacitor. The improvement of photovoltaic response in Bi（Fe, Mn）O3 thin film can be reasonably explained as being due to absorbing more visible light through bandgap engineering and maintaining the ferroelectric property at the same time.

Photovoltaic effects in reconfigurable heterostructured black phosphorus transistors

We demonstrate a reconfigurable black phosphorus electrical field transistor,which is van der Waals heterostructured with few-layer graphene and hexagonal boron nitride flakes.Varied homojunctions could be realized by controlling both source–drain and top-gate voltages.With the spatially resolved scanning photocurrent microscopy technique,photovoltaic photocurrents originated from the band-bending regions are observed,confirming nine different configurations for each set of fixed voltages.In addition,as a phototransistor,high responsivity(～800 mA/W)and fast response speed(～230μs)are obtained from the device.The reconfigurable van der Waals heterostructured transistors may offer a promising structure towards electrically tunable black phosphorus-based optoelectronic devices.

Photoemission cross section：A critical parameter in the impurity photovoltaic effect

A numerical study has been conducted to explore the role of photoemission cross sections in the impurity photovoltaic（IPV） effect for silicon solar cells doped with indium. The photovoltaic parameters（short-circuit current density, opencircuit voltage, and conversion efficiency） of the IPV solar cell were calculated as functions of variable electron and hole photoemission cross sections. The presented results show that the electron and hole photoemission cross sections play critical roles in the IPV effect. When the electron photoemission cross section is 10^-20cm^2, the conversion efficiencyη of the IPV cell always has a negative gain（△η 0） if the IPV impurity is introduced. A large hole photoemission cross section can adversely impact IPV solar cell performance. The combination of a small hole photoemission cross section and a large electron photoemission cross section can achieve higher conversion efficiency for the IPV solar cell since a large electron photoemission cross section can enhance the necessary electron transition from the impurity level to the conduction band and a small hole photoemission cross section can reduce the needless sub-bandgap absorption. It is concluded that those impurities with small（large） hole photoemission cross section and large（small） electron photoemission cross section,whose energy levels are near the valence（or conduction） band edge, may be suitable for use in IPV solar cells. These results may help in judging whether or not an impurity is appropriate for use in IPV solar cells according to its electron and hole photoemission cross sections.

Infrared laser-induced fast photovoltaic effect observed in orthorhombic tin oxide film

The SnO_2/SnO with an orthorhombic structure is a material known to be stable at high pressures and temperatures and expected to have new optical and electrical properties. The authors report a new finding of the infrared laser induced a fast photovoltaic effect arising from orthorhombic tin oxide film with an indirect band gap（~2.4 e V） which is deposited by pulsed laser deposition. The rising time of the photovoltaic signal is about 3 ns with a peak value of 4.48 mV under the pulsed laser beam with energy density 0.015 m J/mm^2. The relation between the photovoltages and laser positions along the line between two electrodes of the film is also exhibited. A possible mechanism is put forward to explain this phenomenon.All data and analyses demonstrate that the orthorhombic tin oxide with an indirect band gap could be used as a candidate for an infrared photodetector which can be operated at high pressures and temperatures.

Origin of ultraviolet photovoltaic effect in Fe3O4 thin films

We have investigated the transport and ultraviolet photovoltaic properties of Fe3O4 thin films grown on glass substrates by facing-target sputtering technique. The nonlinear dependence of current-density on voltage suggests that the transport process is most likely the tunnelling process and grain boundaries act as barriers. Furthermore, nonequilibrium electron-hole pairs are excited in the grains and grain boundary regions for Fe3O4 film under ultraviolet laser, since the energy gap of Fe3O4 is smaller than the ultraviolet photon energy. And then the built-in electric field near the grain boundaries will separate carriers, leading to the appearance of an instant photovoltage.

Enhanced near-infrared responsivity of silicon photodetector by the impurity photovoltaic effect

The near-infrared responsivity of a silicon photodetector employing the impurity photovoltaic （IPV） effect is investigated with a numerical method. The improvement of the responsivity can reach 0.358 A/W at a wavelength of about 1200 nm, and its corresponding quantum efficiency is 41.1%. The origin of the enhanced responsivity is attributed to the absorption of sub-bandgap photons, which results in the carrier transition from the impurity energy level to the conduction band. The results indicate that the IPV effect may provide a general approach to enhancing the responsivity of photodetectors.

Ultraviolet laser-induced photovoltaic effects in miscut ferroelectric LiNbO_3 single crystals

This paper investigates the photovoltaic properties of miscut LiNbO3 single crystal with different thicknesses under irradiation of a 248 nm ultraviolet laser pulse with 20 ns duration without an applied bias. Nanosecond photovoltaic response is observed and faster rise time is obtained in thinner samples. In accord with the 248 nm laser duration, the full width at half maximum of the photovoltaic signals keeps a constant of ~ 20 ns. With decrease of the crystal thickness, the photovoltaic sensitivity was improved rapidly at first and then decreased, and the maximum photovoltage occurred at 0.38 mm-thick single crystal. The present results demonstrate that decreasing the LiNbO3 single crystal thickness can obtain faster response time and improve the photovoltaic sensitivity.

Generation and modulation of multiple 2D bulk photovoltaic effects in space-time reversal asymmetric 2H-FeCl_(2)

The two-dimensional(2D)bulk photovoltaic effect(BPVE)is a cornerstone for future highly efficient 2D solar cells and optoelectronics.The ferromagnetic semiconductor 2H-FeCl_(2) is shown to realize a new type of BPVE in which spatial inversion(P),time reversal(T),and space−time reversal(PT)symmetries are broken(PT-broken).Using density functional theory and perturbation theory,we show that 2H-FeCl_(2) exhibits giant photocurrents,photo-spin-currents,and photo-orbital-currents under illumination by linearly polarized light.The injection-like and shift-like photocurrents coexist and propagate in different directions.The material also demonstrates substantial photoconductance,photo-spin-conductance,and photo-orbital-conductance,with magnitudes up to 4650(nm·μA/V^(2)),4620[nm·μA/V^(2)/(2e)],and 6450(nm·μA/V^(2)/e),respectively.Furthermore,the injection-currents,shift-spin-currents,and shift-orbital-currents can be readily switched via rotating the magnetizations of 2H-FeCl_(2).These results demonstrate the superior performance and intriguing control of a new type of BPVE in 2H-FeCl_(2).

Flexoelectricity-enhanced photovoltaic effect in trapezoid-shaped NaNbO_(3)nanotube array composites

In this work,we successfully prepared vertically aligned NaNbO_(3)nanotube(NN-NT)with trapezoidal shapes,in which the orthorhombic and monoclinic phases coexisted.According to the structure analysis,the NN-NT/epoxy composite film had excellent flexoelectric properties due to the lattice distortion caused by defects and irregular shape.The flexoelectric effect is the greatest in the vertical direction in the flexible NN-NT/epoxy composite film,and the flexoelectric coefficient()is 2.77×10^(−8)C·m^(−1),which is approximately 5-fold higher than that of the pure epoxy film.The photovoltaic current of the NN-NT/epoxy composite film increased from 39.9 to 71.8 nA·cm^(−2)in the direction of spontaneous polarization when the sample was bent upward due to the flexoelectricity-enhanced photovoltaic(FPV)effect.The flexoelectric effect of the NN-NT/epoxy composite film could modulate the photovoltaic response by increasing it by 80%or reducing it to 65%of the original value.This work provides a new idea for further exploration in efficient and lossless ferroelectric memory devices.

Out-of-plane photoconductive and bulk photovoltaic effects in two-dimensionalα-In_(2)Se_(3)/Ta_(2)NiS_(5) ferroelectric heterojunctions

Two-dimensionalα-In_(2)Se_(3)exhibits simultaneous intercorrelated in-plane and out-of-plane polarization,making it a highly promising material for use in memories,synapses,sensors,detectors,and optoelectronic devices.With its narrow bandgap,α-In_(2)Se_(3)is particularly attractive for applications in photodetection.However,relatively little research has been conducted on the out-of-plane photoconductive and bulk photovoltaic effects inα-In_(2)Se_(3).This limits the potential ofα-In_(2)Se_(3)in the device innovation and performance modification.Herein,we have developed anα-In_(2)Se_(3)-based heterojunction with a transparent electrode of two-dimensional Ta_(2)NiS_(5).The out-of-plane electric field can effectively separate the photo-generated electron-hole pairs in the heterojunction,resulting in an out-of-plane responsivity(R),external quantum efficiency(EQE),and specific detectivity(D*)of 0.78 mA/W,10−3%and 1.14×10^(8)Jones,respectively.The out-of-plane bulk photovoltaic effect has been demonstrated by changes in the short circuit current(SCC)and open circuit voltage(V_(oc))with different optical power intensity and temperature,which indicates thatα-In_(2)Se_(3)-based heterojunctions has application potential in mid-far infrared light detection based on its out-of-plane photoconductive and bulk photovoltaic effects.Although the out-of-plane photoconductive and bulk photovoltaic effects are relatively lower than that of traditional materials,the findings pave the way for a better understanding of the out-of-plane characteristics of two-dimensionalα-In_(2)Se_(3)and related heterojunctions.Furthermore,the results highlight the application potential ofα-In_(2)Se_(3)in low-power device innovation and performance modification.

Broadband photovoltaic effect of n-type topological insulator Bi2Te3 films on p-type Si substrates

We report the photovoltaic effects of n-type topological insulator （TI） Bi2Te3 films grown on p-type Si substrates by chemical vapor deposition （CVD）. The films containing large nanoplates with a smooth surface formed on p-Si exhibit good p-n diode characteristics under dark and light illumination conditions and display a good photovoltaic effect under the broadband range from ultraviolet （UV） to near infrared （N1R） wavelengths. Under the light illumination with a wavelength of 1,000 nm, a short circuit current （Isc） of 19.2 μA and an open circuit voltage （Voc） of 235 mV are achieved. The maximum fill factor （FF） increases with a decrease in the wavelength or light density, achieving a value of 35.6% under 600 nm illumination. The photoresponse of the n-Bi2TeB/p-Si device can be effectively switched between the on and off modes in millisecond time scale. These findings are important for both the fundamental understanding and solar cell device avDlications of TI materials.

Fast lateral photovoltaic effect in ferroelectric LiNbO_3 single crystals

We report the fast lateral photovoltaic effect in pure congruent LiNbO3 crystal induced by pulsed laser and continuous wave laser with wavelengths of 355, 532, and 1064 nm. A typical ultrafast photovoltage can be observed on the surface perpendicular to the c axis, With the rise time of 1.5 ns and the full-width at half-maximum of 1-2 ns, when the laser pulse inhomogeneously irradiates on the crystal. The peak open-circuit photovoltages show a linear dependence on the incident laser intensities. The mechanism of the photovoltaic characteristics is proposed.

Flexoelectric-induced photovoltaic effects and tunable photocurrents in flexible LaFeO_(3) epitaxial heterostructures

By engineering strain gradients in dielectrics,the flexoelectric effect can be created,which yields interesting physical properties via electromechanical coupling.Here,we report flexoelectric-induced photovoltaic effects in centrosymmetric LaFeO_(3) thin-film heterostructures grown on flexible mica sub-strates,in which partial relaxation of lattice-mismatch strain against LaAlO_(3) stretching layers results in giant strain gradients and pronounced electrical polarizations.The flexoelectric polarization modulates band alignment and leads to significant photovoltaic effects with a short-circuit current density of~0.4 mA/cm^(2) and an open circuit voltage of~-0.45 V in Pt/LaFeO_(3)/LaNiO_(3) devices.In addition,by con-cavely/convexly bending the mica substrate,mechanical strain gradients give rise to bi-directionally tunable photocurrents,in which continuously change of short-circuit current density with a magni-tude of~100% and good reproducibility in repetitive bending operations are observed in the Pt/LaFeO_(3)/LaNiO_(3) devices.The present work demonstrates an approach to design self-powered photoelectric de-vices with an electromechanical degree of freedom based on the flexoelectric effect in flexible thin-film heterostructures.

Near-infrared lateral photovoltaic effect of epitaxial LaTiO--_(3+δ) films under high pressure

A lateral photovoltaic effect （LPE） is discovered in an LaTiO3＋8 film epitaxially grown on a （100） SrTiO3 substrate. Under the illumination of a continuous 808 nm laser beam that is focused on the LaTiO3＋δ film through the SrTiO3 substrate, the open-circuit photovoltage depends linearly on the illuminated position. The sensitivity of the LPE can be modified by the bias current. The LaTiO3＋δ film shows a stable photoelectric property under the high pressure, up to 9 MPa. These results indicate that the LaTiO3＋δ films can give rise to a potentially photoelectronic device for near-infrared position-sensitive detection in high-pressure environments.

Temperature and metal composition dependence of lateral photovoltaic effect in Al-Alq_3/SiO_2/Si structures

A series of Al=-（Alq3）l-x granular films is prepared on Si wafer with native oxide layer using co-evaporation technique. Large lateral photovoltaic effect （LPE） is observed, with an optimal LPV sensitivity of 75 mV/mm in x=0.35 sample. The dependence of LPE on temperature and A1 composition is investigated, and the possible mechanism is discussed.

Temporal development of open-circuit bright photovoltaic solitons

This paper investigates the temporal behaviour of open-circuit bright photovoltaic spatial solitons by using numerical techniques. It shows that when the intensity ratio of the soliton, the ratio between the soliton peak intensity and the dark irradiance, is small, the quasi-steady-state soliton width decreases monotonically with the increase of τ-, where τ- is the parameter correlated with the time, that when the intensity ratio of the soliton is big, the quasi-steady-state soliton width decreases with the increase of τ- and then increases with τ, and that the formation time of the steady-state solitons is not correlated with the intensity ratio of the soliton. It finds that the local nonlinear effect increases with the photovoltaic field, which behaves as that the width of soliton beams is small and the self-focusing quasi-period is short. On the other hand, we also discuss that both the time and the temperature have an effect on the beam bending.

Ultraviolet photovoltaic characteristic of MgB2 thin film

Fast photoelectric effects have been observed in MgB2 thin film fabricated by chemical vapour deposition. The rise time was -10 ns and the full width at half-maximum was -185ns for the photovoltaic pulse when the film was irradiated by a 308 nm laser pulse of 25 ns in duration. X-ray diffraction and the scanning electron microscope revealed that the film was polycrystalline with preferred c-axis orientation. We propose that nonequilibrium electron-hole pairs are excited in the grains and grain boundary regions for MgB2 film under ultraviolet laser and then the built-ln electric field near the grain boundaries separates carriers, which lead to the appearance of an instant photovoltage.

Temperature-dependent rectifying and photovoltaic characteristics of an oxygen-deficient Bi_2Sr_2Co_2O_y/Si heterojunction

A Bi2Sr2Co2Oy/Si heterojunction is obtained by growing a layer of p-type oxygen-deficient Bi2Sr2Co2Oy film on a commercial n-type silicon wafer by pulsed laser deposition. Its rectifying and photovoltaic properties are studied in a wide temperature range from 20 K to 300 K. The transport mechanism under the forward bias can be attributed to a trap- filled space-charge-limited current conduction mechanism. Under the irradiation of a 532-nm continuous wave laser, a clear photovoltaic effect is observed and the magnitude ofphotovoltage increases as the temperature decreases, The results demonstrate the potential application of a Bi2SrzCo2Oy-based heterojunction in the photoelectronic devices.