Observation of the orbital circular photogalvanic effect

Abstract

We report on the observation of the circular photogalvanic effect in Si-metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors with inversion channel excited by terahertz radiation. We demonstrate that in spite of the fact that the photocurrent is caused by transfer of the photon angular momentum to free carriers, it is not due to spin orientation but has a pure orbital origin. It results from the quantum interference of different pathways contributing to the free-carrier absorption of monochromatic radiation. © 2009 The American Physical Society.