Semiconductor Nanowire Field-Effect Transistors as Sensitive Detectors in the Far-Infrared

Engineering detection dynamics in nanoscale receivers that operate in the far infrared (frequencies in the range 0.1–10 THz) is a challenging task that, however, can open intriguing perspectives for targeted applications in quantum science, biomedicine, space science, tomography, security, process and quality control. Here, we exploited InAs nanowires (NWs) to engineer antenna-coupled THz photodetectors that operated as efficient bolometers or photo thermoelectric receivers at room temperature. We controlled the core detection mechanism by design, through the different architectures of an on-chip resonant antenna, or dynamically, by varying the NW carrier density through electrostatic gating. Noise equivalent powers as low as 670 pWHz−1/2 with 1 µs response time at 2.8 THz were reached.

Negative Photoconductive Effects in Uncooled InAs Nanowire Photodetectors

One-dimensional, direct, and narrow band gap indium arsenide (InAs) nanowires (NWs) have been emerging with great potentials for the next-generation wide-spectrum photodetectors. In this study, metal–semiconductor–metal (MSM) structure InAs NW-based photodetectors were fabricated by transferring MBE-grown NWs onto a sapphire substrate via a mechanical stamping method. These NW detectors exhibit strong negative photoconductive (NPC) effects, which are likely caused by the carrier dynamics in the “core-shell” structure of the NWs. Specifically, under the irradiation of a 405 nm violet laser, the maximum Idark/Ilight ratio reaches ∼102 and the NPC gain reaches 105 at a low bias voltage of 0.2 V. At room temperature, the rise and decay times of InAs NW devices are 0.005 and 2.645 s, respectively. These InAs NW devices with a high Idark/Ilight ratio and NPC gain can be potentially used in the field of vis/near-IR light communication in the future.

Asymmetric Little–Parks oscillations in full shell double nanowires

Little–Parks oscillations of a hollow superconducting cylinder are of interest for flux-driven topological superconductivity in single Rashba nanowires. The oscillations are typically symmetric in the orientation of the applied magnetic flux. Using double InAs nanowires coated by an epitaxial superconducting Al shell which, despite the non-centro-symmetric geometry, behaves effectively as one hollow cylinder, we demonstrate that a small misalignment of the applied parallel field with respect to the axis of the nanowires can produce field-asymmetric Little–Parks oscillations. These are revealed by the simultaneous application of a magnetic field perpendicular to the misaligned parallel field direction. The asymmetry occurs in both the destructive regime, in which superconductivity is destroyed for half-integer quanta of flux through the shell, and in the non-destructive regime, where superconductivity is depressed but not fully destroyed at these flux values.