Photovoltage responses of graphene-Au heterojunctions

As an emerging 2D material, graphene’s several unique properties, such as high electron mobility, zero-bandgap and low density of states, present new opportunities for light detections. Here, we report on photovoltage responses of graphene-Au heterojunctions, which are made of monolayer graphene sheets atop Au electrodes designed as finger-shape and rectangle-shape, respectively. Besides confirming the critical role of space charge regions located at the graphene-Au boundary, photovoltage responses are measured in the visible to infrared spectral region with a cut-off wavelength at about 980 nm, which is likely imposed by the Pauli blocking of interband transition in the contact-doped graphene. The photoresponsivity is shown to decrease with increasing wavelength. A band diagram of the graphene-Au heterojunction is proposed to understand the photoresponse mechanism.