Terahertz response of carbon nanotube/metal heterojunctions

Terahertz-radiation-induced photocurrents have been experimentally observed in a carbon nanotube (CNT)/nickel heterojunction. The temporal photoresponse shows a relatively fast and a slow process, corresponding to the photoelectric and thermal effects, respectively. The photoconductive properties of this junction under terahertz illumination are also explored. Our work demonstrates the possibility of using CNT/metal junctions as novel terahertz detectors.