Photo-thermoelectric detection of cyclotron resonance in asymmetrically carrier-doped graphene two-terminal device

TL;DR

This study demonstrates the use of graphene's photo-thermoelectric effect to detect cyclotron resonance via photovoltage measurements, showing potential for THz photo-detection in a novel two-terminal device.

Contribution

It introduces a method to measure cyclotron resonance in graphene using photo-thermoelectric effects in an asymmetrically doped, double-gated device, enabling THz detection.

Findings

Enhanced photovoltage at cyclotron resonance conditions

Effective detection of Landau level transitions

Potential application in THz photo-detection

Abstract

Graphene is known to show a significant photo-thermoelectric effect that can exceed its photovoltaic contribution. Here, by utilizing this effect, we demonstrate a photovoltage measurement of cyclotron resonance in a double-back-gated h-BN/graphene/h-BN two-terminal device. A graphite local bottom gate was fabricated in addition to a p-doped Si global back gate. By tuning the two gate voltages, an in-plane graphene junction having an asymmetric carrier-doping profile was created. With the help of this asymmetric structure, the photo-thermoelectric voltage generated in the vicinity of the metal-electrode/graphene junction was detected. At a low temperature and in the presence of a magnetic field, a photo-induced voltage was measured under the irradiation of an infrared laser (Wavelength= 9.28 to 10.61 micron). We observed a strong enhancement of the photovoltage signal under the cyclotron resonance condition, at which the energy of excitation coincides with a transition between Landau levels. These results highlight the possibility of using the photo-thermoelectric effect in graphene for THz photo-detection.