Optoelectronic characteristics of single CdS nanobelts

Optoelectronic properties of single CdS nanobelts are investigated by performing transport measurements with different laser ON/OFF circles. The current increases linearly with the bias voltage in the dark, and superlinearly under illumination. The superlinear increase can be related to the enhanced mobility due to the partial release of surface adsorbates under illumination. The current jumps up by five orders of magnitude upon turning on the laser with an intensity of 0.3 W/ cm(2) within 91 ms and decreases by five orders 6 ms just after turning off the laser. The high sensitivity and fast response in the visible range indicate potential applications of CdS nanobelts in realizing optoelectronic switches. (c) 2005 American Institute of Physics.