Polarization‐Sensitive Single‐Wall Carbon Nanotubes All‐in‐One Photodetecting and Emitting Device Working at 1.55 µm

Abstract

Functional and easy‐to‐integrate nanodevices operating in the telecom wavelength ranges are highly desirable. Indeed, the pursuit for faster, cheaper, and smaller transceivers for datacom applications is fueling the interest in alternative materials to develop the next generation of photonic devices. In this context, single wall carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) have demonstrated outstanding electrical and optical properties that make them an ideal material for the realization of ultracompact optoelectronic devices. Still, the mixture in chirality of as‐synthesized SWNTs and the necessity of precise positioning of SWNT‐based devices hinder the development of practical devices. Here, the realization of operational devices obtained using liquid solution‐based techniques is reported, which allow high‐purity sorting and localized deposition of aligned semiconducting SWNTs (s‐SWNTs). More specifically, devices are demonstrated by combining a polymer assisted extraction method, which enables a very effective selection of s‐SWNTs with a diameter of about 1–1.2 nm, with dielectrophoresis, which localizes the deposition onto silicon wafers in aligned arrays in‐between prepatterned electrodes. Thus, long semiconducting nanotubes directly contact the electrodes and, when asymmetric contacts (i.e., source and drain made of different metals) are used, each device can operate both as photoemitter and as photodetector in the telecom band around 1.55 µm in air at room temperature.