Interaction of polarization-sensitive surface photocurrents in semitransparent CuSe/Se film

Abstract

We demonstrate that the transverse polarization-sensitive photoresponse of the CuSe/Se nanocomposite film deposited on a transparent substrate depends on whether the film is irradiated from the air side or substrate side. In particular, the nanosecond photocurrent pulse is either bipolar or unipolar pulse depending on which interface beam hits first. The observed phenomenon can be described in terms of the interplay between counter-propagating photocurrents generated at the air/nanocomposite and substrate/nanocomposite interfaces due to the surface photogalvanic effect. Our experimental findings can be employed to control the amplitude and temporal profile of the photoresponse by changing the polarization of the excitation laser beam.