Lateral photovoltaic effect observed in nano Au film covered two-dimensional colloidal crystals

Periodic nanostructure, especially for nano-spheres' structure, is one of the key issues in the current research, due to its anomalous transmission of light and obvious surface plasmon resonance. In this work, a type of anisotropic lateral photovoltaic effect is observed in the Au films covered two-dimensional colloidal crystals (CCs). This finding of lateral photovoltaic effect adds the functionality to the CCs system and will be useful in development of CCs-based devices. (C) 2014 AIP Publishing LLC.