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The emerging field of lightwave electronics is driving optoelectronic information processing beyond current classical limitations and has the potential to eventually reach petahertz frequencies. One of the major obstacles in reaching not only higher switching frequencies but also higher repetition rates with low‐power light sources is the efficiency of related devices. A device is presented based on a multilayered material that shows a 13‐fold enhancement in terms of converting light to electric current compared to bulk solids. Furthermore, the device exhibits an almost flat intensity response within its working range. The outstanding properties of engineered multilayered devices promise to push technology for lightwave electronics applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Direct measurements of the electric field of light enable new observations of light–matter interactions. In the near‐infrared and visible spectral ranges, this typically relies on techniques that exploit nonlinearities in gases or solids, which limits their sensitivity. Here, a method for the detection of broadband near‐infrared fields spanning more than one octave from 110 to 220 THz based on linear absorption in a semiconductor is demonstrated. This technique, which avoids complex vacuum setups and works under ambient conditions, employs linear photoconductive sampling (LPS) in gallium phosphide. Simulations reveal that the response function of LPS is concerned with the intensity envelope of the gate field, in contrast to electro‐optic sampling, relaxing the stringent temporal requirements on the gate pulse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]