Flexible, Lightweight Terahertz Photodetector and Polarizer Based on Carbon Nanotube Fibers

ORAL

Abstract

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have some extraordinary properties such as ultrabroadband (ultraviolet to far-infrared) absorption, ultrahigh electrical and thermal conductivities, ultralight weights and ultrahigh mechanical strengths, which have attracted the interest of researchers in diverse fields. In particular, the photonic and optoelectronic properties of CNTs are ideally suited for terahertz (THz) technologies which have applications in astronomy, communications, and sensing. The THz detectors and polarizers that we currently use are mostly bulky operated at very low temperatures, and have complex structures. Here, we explore the optoelectronic properties of high-performance multifunctional fibers of CNTs towards the development of lightweight, flexible THz photodetectors and polarizers. We present a photothermoelectric-effectbased flexible CNT-fiber photodetector fabricated using a novel technique. The spatial variation of doping in CNT fibres creates a Seebeck coefficient gradient, leading to a photothermoelectric signal. This CNT-fiber photodetector shows polarization-sensitive detection in the THz regime. Under illumination by a 3.52THz beam, the I-V characteristic of the fiber photodetector produced a finite short-circuit current (I$_{\mathrm{SC}})$ and open-circuit voltage (V$_{\mathrm{OC}})$. The device showed responsivities up to 2.1 mA/W. We also fabricated a CNT-fiber-based polarizer, which exhibited ideal polarizer properties with $\sim$ 100{\%} degree of polarization and extinction ratios of better than 30 dB in the THz range.

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Authors

  • Ahmed Zubair

    Rice University, Houston, Texas, USA

  • Darren Depoy

    University of Michigan, Univeristy of Michigan, Texas A\&M University, UC Riverside, University of Massachusetts, STScI, NOAO, University of Texas, Cyclotron Institute, Texas A\&M University, ENEA, Italy, INFN, Italy, University of Texas at Austin, TX, Cyclotron Institute, TAMU, TX, Cyclotron Institute TAMU, TX, Cyclotron Institute - Texas A\&M University, Texas A\&M Univ, Texas A\&M University, Baylor University, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Texas A\&M University, College Station, Texas, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai, 200240, China, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Texas A\&M University, College Station, Texas, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Texas A\&M University, College Station, Texas, Texas State University, University of Texas at Arlington, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, DESY, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Texas A\&M University, Department of Physics, Syracuse University, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Vanderbilt University, Texas A\&M University, Princeton University and Baylor University, Texas A\&M Univ at Qatar, Kazan Federal University, Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics, Institue for Quantum Science and Engineering (IQSE) and Department of Physics \& Astronomy, Texas A\&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, USA, MIT, Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, New Mexico, Postgrad, ORNL, Muons Inc., Texas Lutheran University, West Virginia University, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, University of Kentucky, US Naval Academy, University of Dallas, U.S. Naval Academy, Univ of Texas, Arlington, Department of Physics, Texas A\&M University, College Station, TX 77845, Science and Petroleum Departments, Texas A\&M University in Qatar, Doha, Qatar, Rice University, Houston, Texas, USA, Department of Physics, Texas State University, Florida A\&M University, Texas A\&M University in Qatar, Doha, Qatar, Physics and Astronomy Dept., TCU, Geology Dept., TCU, Colorado College, University of Texas at El Paso, University of Texas at Brownsville, Rochester Institute of Technology, Baylor University, Texas A\&M, Princeton University, Baylor University, Princeton University, Texas A\&M University, Materials Science and Engineering and Department of Physics and Astronomy, Texas A\&M University; WPI-AIMR, Tohoku University, Japan, WPI-AIMR, Tohoku University, Department of Chemistry, Texas A\&M University, Materials Science and Engineering and Department of Physics and Astronomy, Texas A\&M University, WPI-AIMR, Tohoku University, Japan, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Texas A\&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, USA, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Texas A\&M University and WPI-Advanced Institute for Materials Research, Tohoku University, Japan, University of Texas at Austin, Center for Nonlinear Dynamics and Department of Physics, The University of Texas at Austin, JILA, NIST, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Texas A\&M University and Institute for Quantum Studies and Engineering, College Station, TX 77843-4242, USA, Institute of Applied Physics of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 46 Ulyanov street, Nizhny Novgorod 603950, Russia, Department of Physics, University of Texas at Austin, Rice University, Texas A&M University

  • Darren Depoy

    University of Michigan, Univeristy of Michigan, Texas A\&M University, UC Riverside, University of Massachusetts, STScI, NOAO, University of Texas, Cyclotron Institute, Texas A\&M University, ENEA, Italy, INFN, Italy, University of Texas at Austin, TX, Cyclotron Institute, TAMU, TX, Cyclotron Institute TAMU, TX, Cyclotron Institute - Texas A\&M University, Texas A\&M Univ, Texas A\&M University, Baylor University, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Texas A\&M University, College Station, Texas, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai, 200240, China, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Texas A\&M University, College Station, Texas, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Texas A\&M University, College Station, Texas, Texas State University, University of Texas at Arlington, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, DESY, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Texas A\&M University, Department of Physics, Syracuse University, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Vanderbilt University, Texas A\&M University, Princeton University and Baylor University, Texas A\&M Univ at Qatar, Kazan Federal University, Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics, Institue for Quantum Science and Engineering (IQSE) and Department of Physics \& Astronomy, Texas A\&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, USA, MIT, Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, New Mexico, Postgrad, ORNL, Muons Inc., Texas Lutheran University, West Virginia University, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, University of Kentucky, US Naval Academy, University of Dallas, U.S. Naval Academy, Univ of Texas, Arlington, Department of Physics, Texas A\&M University, College Station, TX 77845, Science and Petroleum Departments, Texas A\&M University in Qatar, Doha, Qatar, Rice University, Houston, Texas, USA, Department of Physics, Texas State University, Florida A\&M University, Texas A\&M University in Qatar, Doha, Qatar, Physics and Astronomy Dept., TCU, Geology Dept., TCU, Colorado College, University of Texas at El Paso, University of Texas at Brownsville, Rochester Institute of Technology, Baylor University, Texas A\&M, Princeton University, Baylor University, Princeton University, Texas A\&M University, Materials Science and Engineering and Department of Physics and Astronomy, Texas A\&M University; WPI-AIMR, Tohoku University, Japan, WPI-AIMR, Tohoku University, Department of Chemistry, Texas A\&M University, Materials Science and Engineering and Department of Physics and Astronomy, Texas A\&M University, WPI-AIMR, Tohoku University, Japan, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Texas A\&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, USA, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Texas A\&M University and WPI-Advanced Institute for Materials Research, Tohoku University, Japan, University of Texas at Austin, Center for Nonlinear Dynamics and Department of Physics, The University of Texas at Austin, JILA, NIST, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Texas A\&M University and Institute for Quantum Studies and Engineering, College Station, TX 77843-4242, USA, Institute of Applied Physics of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 46 Ulyanov street, Nizhny Novgorod 603950, Russia, Department of Physics, University of Texas at Austin, Rice University, Texas A&M University

  • Darren Depoy

    University of Michigan, Univeristy of Michigan, Texas A\&M University, UC Riverside, University of Massachusetts, STScI, NOAO, University of Texas, Cyclotron Institute, Texas A\&M University, ENEA, Italy, INFN, Italy, University of Texas at Austin, TX, Cyclotron Institute, TAMU, TX, Cyclotron Institute TAMU, TX, Cyclotron Institute - Texas A\&M University, Texas A\&M Univ, Texas A\&M University, Baylor University, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Texas A\&M University, College Station, Texas, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai, 200240, China, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Texas A\&M University, College Station, Texas, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Texas A\&M University, College Station, Texas, Texas State University, University of Texas at Arlington, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, DESY, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Texas A\&M University, Department of Physics, Syracuse University, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Vanderbilt University, Texas A\&M University, Princeton University and Baylor University, Texas A\&M Univ at Qatar, Kazan Federal University, Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics, Institue for Quantum Science and Engineering (IQSE) and Department of Physics \& Astronomy, Texas A\&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, USA, MIT, Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, New Mexico, Postgrad, ORNL, Muons Inc., Texas Lutheran University, West Virginia University, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, University of Kentucky, US Naval Academy, University of Dallas, U.S. Naval Academy, Univ of Texas, Arlington, Department of Physics, Texas A\&M University, College Station, TX 77845, Science and Petroleum Departments, Texas A\&M University in Qatar, Doha, Qatar, Rice University, Houston, Texas, USA, Department of Physics, Texas State University, Florida A\&M University, Texas A\&M University in Qatar, Doha, Qatar, Physics and Astronomy Dept., TCU, Geology Dept., TCU, Colorado College, University of Texas at El Paso, University of Texas at Brownsville, Rochester Institute of Technology, Baylor University, Texas A\&M, Princeton University, Baylor University, Princeton University, Texas A\&M University, Materials Science and Engineering and Department of Physics and Astronomy, Texas A\&M University; WPI-AIMR, Tohoku University, Japan, WPI-AIMR, Tohoku University, Department of Chemistry, Texas A\&M University, Materials Science and Engineering and Department of Physics and Astronomy, Texas A\&M University, WPI-AIMR, Tohoku University, Japan, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Texas A\&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, USA, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Texas A\&M University and WPI-Advanced Institute for Materials Research, Tohoku University, Japan, University of Texas at Austin, Center for Nonlinear Dynamics and Department of Physics, The University of Texas at Austin, JILA, NIST, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Texas A\&M University and Institute for Quantum Studies and Engineering, College Station, TX 77843-4242, USA, Institute of Applied Physics of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 46 Ulyanov street, Nizhny Novgorod 603950, Russia, Department of Physics, University of Texas at Austin, Rice University, Texas A&M University

  • Junichiro Kono

    Rice University, Houston, Texas, USA