Self-powered microwave devices based on graphene ink decorated with gold nanoislands

We demonstrate that a photovoltaic device, able to harvest light energy from UV to IR, can be implemented using a coplanar electrode configuration consisting of three electrodes deposited on high-resistivity n-Si, in which the central electrode is interdigitated with different metal electrodes, Au and Pt, respectively, and further covered with graphene ink functionalized with gold nanoislands. Also, this device can act as a wideband photodetector with good responsivity if biased. We have also identified light-induced negative differential resistance behavior with a high peak-to-valley ratio due to charging/discharging effects in the gold nanoislands. (C) 2012 American Institute of Physics. [http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.4754860]