Photocurrent modulation through controlled beam steering via phase-gradient metasurfaces

Metasurfaces, composed of subwavelength plasmonic resonators, facilitate diverse wavefront engineering by introducing abrupt and spatially phase shifts to tailor incident electromagnetic waves. Extending this strategy to optoelectronic platforms introduces an additional degree of freedom to actively manipulate light. In this work, we investigate the coupling between circularly polarized (CP) light with a rectangular metasurface and the subsequent photocurrent-driven manipulation for a multiple-quantum-well (MQW) structure. By introducing spatially phase shifts, the metasurface enables beam deflection at different angles. Building on this, we design and fabricate a monolithic optoelectronic device that integrates a phase-gradient metasurface with a middle infrared MQW. This approach allows for efficient photocurrent modulation by controlling beam steering. Such tailored wavefront manipulation of photoresponse presents a novel perspective on designing advanced optoelectronic devices.