A Noble-Transition Alloy Excels at Hot-Carrier Generation in the Near Infrared

Authors

Sara K. Stofela, Gordon and Mary Cain Department of Chemical Engineering, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, 70803, USA.
Orhan Kizilkaya, Center for Advanced Microstructures & Devices, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, 70806, USA.
Benjamin T. Diroll, Center for Nanoscale Materials, Argonne National Laboratory, Lemont, IL, 60439, USA.
Tiago R. Leite, Gordon and Mary Cain Department of Chemical Engineering, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, 70803, USA.
Mohammad M. Taheri, Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.
Daniel E. Willis, Gordon and Mary Cain Department of Chemical Engineering, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, 70803, USA.
Jason B. Baxter, Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.
William A. Shelton, Gordon and Mary Cain Department of Chemical Engineering, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, 70803, USA.
Phillip T. Sprunger, Center for Advanced Microstructures & Devices, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, 70806, USA.
Kevin M. McPeak, Gordon and Mary Cain Department of Chemical Engineering, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, 70803, USA.

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

6-1-2020

Abstract

Above-equilibrium "hot"-carrier generation in metals is a promising route to convert photons into electrical charge for efficient near-infrared optoelectronics. However, metals that offer both hot-carrier generation in the near-infrared and sufficient carrier lifetimes remain elusive. Alloys can offer emergent properties and new design strategies compared to pure metals. Here, it is shown that a noble-transition alloy, Au Pd , outperforms its constituent metals concerning generation and lifetime of hot carriers when excited in the near-infrared. At optical fiber wavelengths (e.g., 1550 nm), Au Pd provides a 20-fold increase in the number of ≈0.8 eV hot holes, compared to Au, and a threefold increase in the carrier lifetime, compared to Pd. The discovery that noble-transition alloys can excel at hot-carrier generation reveals a new material platform for near-infrared optoelectronic devices.

Publication Source (Journal or Book title)

Advanced materials (Deerfield Beach, Fla.)

First Page

e1906478

Recommended Citation

Stofela, S. K., Kizilkaya, O., Diroll, B. T., Leite, T. R., Taheri, M. M., Willis, D. E., Baxter, J. B., Shelton, W. A., Sprunger, P. T., & McPeak, K. M. (2020). A Noble-Transition Alloy Excels at Hot-Carrier Generation in the Near Infrared. Advanced materials (Deerfield Beach, Fla.), 32 (23), e1906478. https://doi.org/10.1002/adma.201906478