Coaxial Ag/ZnO/Ag nanowire for highly sensitive hot-electron photodetection.

Single-nanowire photodetectors (SNPDs) are mostly propelled by p-n junctions, where the detection wavelength is constrained by the band-gap width. Here, we present a simple doping-free metal/semiconductor/metal SNPD, which shows strong detection tunability without such a material constraint. The proposed hot-electron SNPD exhibits superior optical and electrical advantages, i.e., optically the coaxial design leads to a strong asymmetrical photoabsorption and results in a high unidirectional photocurrent, as desired by the hot-electron collection; electrically the hot-electrons are generated in the region very close to the barrier, facilitating the electrical transport. Rigorous calculations predict an unbiased photoresponsivity of ~200 nA/mW. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]