Circularly Polarized Light Detection by Chiral Photonic Cellulose Nanocrystal with ZnO Photoconductive Layer in Ultraviolet Region

Circularly polarized light (CPL) detection and polarization state recognition are required for a wide range of applications. Conventional polarization detection with optical components causes difficulties for miniaturization and integration. An effective design strategy is proposed for direct CPL detection with chiral material. Here, we realized direct CPL detection based on the combination of chiral photonic cellulose nanocrystal (CNC) and ultraviolet-sensitive ZnO photoconductive material. The CNC layer deposited by evaporation-induced self-assembly established the left-handed chiral nematic structure with a photonic bandgap (PBG) to recognize left-handed CPL (LCPL) and right-handed CPL (RCPL) at specific wavelengths. The PBG of CNC layer has been modulated by the adjustment of chiral nematic pitch to match the semiconductor bandgap of ZnO film in ultraviolet region. The photocurrents under RCPL and LCPL are 2.23 × 10-6 A and 1.77 × 10-6 A respectively and the anisotropy factor Δgpc of 0.23 is acquired for the CPL detection based on the chiral photonic CNC. This design provides a new approach to the detection of CPL polarization state with competitive performance.