journal article·2025-11

Geometrical Tailoring of Shockley–Ramo Bipolar Photocurrent in Self‐Powered GaAs Nanodevices

Xiaoguo Fang, Huanyi Xue, Xuhui Mao, Feilin Chen, Ludi Qin, Haiyue Pei, Zhong Chen, Pingping Chen, Ding Zhao, Zhenghua An, Min Qiu

Advanced Optical Materials· Volume 13· Issue 33
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Abstract

Abstract Bipolar photoresponse—where photocurrent polarity reverses with excitation wavelength, gate voltage, or other conditions—is essential for optical logic, neuromorphic computing, and imaging. Unlike unipolar responses, bipolar behavior enables direct binary encoding and enhanced photodetection contrast. However, in conventional photoconductive or photovoltaic systems, the simultaneous and opposite‐directional transport of electrons and holes often suppresses polarity switching. Recent self‐powered Shockley–Ramo (SR) photoresponse in gapless materials also show only unipolar signals due to strong, irreversible electron‐hole asymmetry. Here, for the first‐time, bipolar SR photoresponse is demonstrated in GaAs nanoconstriction devices by exploiting reversible electron‐hole asymmetry. The longer carrier lifetimes in GaAs enable sub‐diffusion‐length control of carrier dynamics through geometry. By tuning photocarrier dynamics near the nanoconstriction for both majority electrons and minority holes, the SR response is modulated to exhibit dual polarities. At low excitation, photoelectrons dominate. As excitation increases, intervalley scattering populates higher‐energy L ‐valleys (µ e,L ≪ µ e,Γ ), while hot‐phonon bottleneck suppresses return to Γ, reducing the effective electron contribution and leading to polarity reversal driven by the growing dominance of photoexcited holes (µ h > µ e,L ). These results, supported by SR theory, show that nanoscale geometric engineering, together with the reversible electron‐hole asymmetry, enables self‐powered bipolar photocurrent responses, offering new routes toward advanced optoelectronic devices.
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Research context

OpenAlex topics: Semiconductor Quantum Structures and Devices · Nanowire Synthesis and Applications · GaN-based semiconductor devices and materials

SciVX discovery tags are terminology-based. OpenAlex topics are source-provided classifications.

Affiliations

College of Information Science and Electronic Engineering Zhejiang University Hangzhou Zhejiang 310027 China

Zhejiang Key Laboratory of 3D Micro/Nano Fabrication and Characterization Department of Electronic and Information Engineering School of Engineering Westlake University Hangzhou Zhejiang 310030 China

State Key Laboratory of Surface Physics and Institute for Nanoelectronic Devices and Quantum Computing Department of Physics Fudan University Shanghai 200438 China

Zhejiang Key Laboratory of 3D Micro/Nano Fabrication and Characterization Westlake Institute for Optoelectronics Fuyang Hangzhou Zhejiang 311421 China

Instrumentation and Service Center for Molecular Sciences Westlake University 600 Dunyu Road Hangzhou Zhejiang Province 310030 China

State Key Laboratory of Infrared Physics Shanghai Institute of Technical Physics Chinese Academy of Sciences Shanghai 200083 China

University of Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing 101408 China

Westlake Institute for Optoelectronics Fuyang Hangzhou Zhejiang 311421 China

Funding

National Key Research and Development Program of China · National Natural Science Foundation of China · Science and Technology Commission of Shanghai Municipality

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