Open AccessEffect of anisotropic electron momentum distribution of surface plasmon on internal photoemission of a Schottky hot carrier device
Author(s) -
XinHao Li,
Jeffrey B. Chou,
Wei Lek Kwan,
Asma M. Elsharif,
Sung Hoon Kim
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
optics express
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.394
H-Index - 271
ISSN - 1094-4087
DOI - 10.1364/oe.25.00a264
Subject(s) - schottky barrier , materials science , electron , schottky diode , surface plasmon , optoelectronics , surface plasmon polariton , momentum (technical analysis) , plasmon , electric field , anisotropy , optics , condensed matter physics , physics , finance , quantum mechanics , diode , economics
We recently reported that an Au/TiO 2 photonic crystal device for photochemical energy conversion showed a sub-bandgap photoresponse centered at the surface plasmon polariton (SPP) resonant wavelength of this device. Here we developed a theoretical modeling of the internal photoemission in this device by incorporating the effects of anisotropic hot electron momentum distribution caused by SPP. The influences of interband and intraband transition, anisotropic momentum distribution of hot electrons by SPP are integrated to model the internal quantum efficiency (IQE) of this device. Near resonant wavelength, SPP dominates the electric field in the thin Au layer, which generates hot electrons with high enough momentum preferentially normal to the Schottky interface. Compared with the widely used Fowler's theory of internal photoemission, our model better predicts hot electron collection in Schottky devices. This model will provide a design guidance for tuning and enhancing photoresponse of Schottky hot carrier devices.