Tunable Circular Photogalvanic and Photovoltaic Effect in 2D Tellurium with Different Chirality

TL;DR

This paper explores how the chiral structure of 2D tellurium influences its circular photogalvanic and photovoltaic responses, demonstrating tunable optoelectronic effects based on chirality control.

Contribution

It reveals the tunable circular photoelectric effects in 2D tellurium with different chiralities, highlighting the manipulation of chirality as a new degree of freedom in materials.

Findings

Chiral 2D tellurium exhibits controllable circular photogalvanic effects.

Chiral structure induces a circular photovoltaic response.

Chirality manipulation enables tunable optoelectronic properties.

Abstract

Chirality arises from the asymmetry of matters, where two counterparts are the mirror image of each other. The interaction between circular-polarization light and quantum materials is enhanced in chiral space groups due to the structural chirality. Tellurium (Te) possesses the simplest chiral crystal structure, with Te atoms covalently bonded into a spiral atomic chain (left- or right-handed) with a periodicity of three. Here, we investigate the tunable circular photo-electric responses in 2D Te field-effect transistor with different chirality, including the longitudinal circular photogalvanic effect induced by the radial spin texture (electron-spin polarization parallel to the electron momentum direction) and the circular photovoltaic induced by the chiral crystal structure (helical Te atomic chains). Our work demonstrates the controllable manipulation of the chirality degree of freedom in materials.