Optoelectronic properties of various HgTe nanoparticle-based structures in the visible and infrared wavelength range

Structural, optical, and electrical properties of various HgTe nanoparticle-based structures including a hybrid HgTe system with organic capping material and a HgTe/CdTe core-shell structure are characterised in this paper by X-ray diffraction, high-resolution transmission electron microscope, photoluminescence (PL), absorption, and current-voltage and photocurrent measurements. Absorption and PL spectra taken for HgTe nanoparticles reveal strong exciton peaks in the near infrared (IR) wavelength range, indicating that the HgTe nanoparticles are a very prospective nanomaterial for the application of optoelectronics operating in IR range. Photocurrents of various HgTe nanoparticle-based structures are compared in visible and IR wavelength range, and the comparison shows that the kind of capping or composites materials and existence of capping materials significantly affect the optoelectronic properties of the HgTe nanoparticles. Finally, transportation of charge carriers and photocurrent mechanism in the HgTe nanoparticle-based structures are discussed in detail in this paper.