Phonon-Assisted Hot Carrier Generation in Plasmonic Semiconductor Systems

• DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.0c04419
• Publication Date: 2021-01-12T23:32:55Z
• Authors: Yocefu Hattori; Jie Meng; Kaibo Zheng; Ageo Meier de And...; Jolla Kullgren; Peter Broqvist; Peter Nordlander; Jacinto Sá
• Keywords: Thermalisation; Hot electron

Plasmonic materials have optical cross sections that exceed by 10-fold their geometric sizes, making them uniquely suitable to convert light into electrical charges. Harvesting plasmon-generated hot carriers is of interest for the broad fields photovoltaics and photocatalysis; however, direct utilization limited ultrafast thermalization in metals. To prolong lifetime carriers, one can place acceptor materials, such as semiconductors, contact with plasmonic system. Herein, we report effect operating temperature on electron generation transfer a semiconductor. We found an increase operation improves harvesting semiconductor hybrid system, contrasting what observed photodriven processes nonplasmonic systems. The appears be related enhancement carrier due phonon coupling. This discovery provides new strategy optimization energy production chemical synthesis.