Multifunctional 2D Infrared Photodetectors Enabled by Asymmetric Singular Metasurfaces

Abstract

2D materials offering ultrafast photoresponse suffer from low intrinsic absorbance, especially in the mid-infrared wavelength range. Challenges in 2d material doping further complicate the creation of light-sensitive p − n junctions. Here, a graphene-based infrared detector is experimentally demonstrated with simultaneously enhanced absorption and strong structural asymmetry enabling zero-bias photocurrent. A key element for those properties is an asymmetric singular metasurface (ASMS) atop graphene with keen metal wedges providing singular enhancement of local absorbance. The ASMS geometry predefines extra device functionalities. The structures with connected metallic wedges demonstrate polarization ratios up to 200 in a broad range of carrier densities at a wavelength of 8.6 µm. The structures with isolated wedges display gate-controlled switching between polarization-discerning and polarization-stable photoresponse, a highly desirable yet scarce property for polarized imaging.