Abstract:
A composite nanoparticle (1) comprises an inner core (3) made of a transparent dielectric material, a first coating layer (5) made of a plasmonic material which overlays the inner core (3) and a second coating layer (7) made of a semiconductor material overlaying the first coating layer (5). Incident light is absorbed by generating surface plasmons at a boundary (4) between the inner core (3) and the first coating layer (5) and at a boundary (6) between the first coating layer (5) and the second coating layer (7) in order to increase the light absorption and thus the exciton generation by the second coating layer (7). The structure of composite particle (1) also allows for tuning of the resonance of the surface plasmons which tunes the frequency of light, or other electromagnetic radiation, that is detected. A photodetector for detecting the absorbed light comprises a channel (25) which is a layer of a two-dimensional material between a source electrode (23) and a drain electrode (24), and a layer (27) of a plurality of composite particles (1). The layer (27) acts as a photogate of the field effect transistor (21).
Abstract:
A device for direct X-ray detection (516) comprises a plurality of substantially parallel conductive channels (501) separated from one another by a quantum dot material (510), thereby forming a composite material layer (517). The parallel conductive channels (501) are electrically connected to source and drain electrodes (503 504a) which enable a flow of electrical current through the conductive channels (501). The quantum dot material (510) generates electron hole pairs upon exposure to incident electromagnetic radiation and the thus generated charge results in an electric field which causes a change in electrical current passing through at least one of the conductive channels (501). The change in electrical current is indicative of one or more of the presence and magnitude of the incident electromagnetic radiation. Since the conductive channels (501) are oriented in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the substrate (502), the distances between the conductive channels can be chosen under consideration of the diffusion lengths of the generated charge carriers and independently from the thickness of the composite material layer (517) required for X-ray radiation.
Abstract:
An apparatus and method, the apparatus including a charge carrier wherein the charge carrier includes a continuous three dimensional framework including a plurality of cavities throughout the framework; sensor material provided throughout the charge carrier; wherein the sensor material is configured to transduce a detected input and change conductivity of the charge carrier in dependence of the detected input.
Abstract:
An apparatus for use in determining the relative vapour pressure of a fluid in an environment in which the apparatus is located, the apparatus comprising a first layer (512) configured to enable a flow of charge carriers from a source electrode (505) to a drain electrode (506), a second layer (513) configured to control the conductance of the first layer (512) using an electric field formed between the first (512) and second layers (513) and a third layer (514) positioned between the first and second layers to prevent a flow of charge carriers therebetween to enable formation of the electric field, wherein the second layer (513) is configured to exhibit a charge distribution on interaction with the fluid, the charge distribution giving rise to the electric field between the first and second (513) layers, and wherein the second layer (513) is configured such that the charge distribution and electric field strength are dependent upon the relative vapour pressure of the fluid in the environment (516), thereby allowing the relative vapour pressure to be derived from a measurement of the conductance of the first layer (512).
Abstract:
An apparatus comprising: one or more conductive paths for transporting charge carriers; and measurand-responsive material, wherein the measurand-responsive material is configured to respond to a measurand and form an active electrode, where sufficient measurand is present, the formed active electrode interconnecting to at least one of the one or more conductive paths.