Generation of transverse photo-induced voltage in plasmonic metasurfaces of triangle holes

We experimentally and numerically demonstrate the transverse electrical response produced by circularly-polarized light with normal incidence observed as transverse photoinduced voltage across the plasmonic metasurface made of triangle holes. The measured transverse photo-induced voltage is consistent with the calculated acting force on electrons in the metasurface by using the Maxwell’s stress tensor. The polarity of voltage reverses as the incident spin (light helicity) switches from right-handed circular polarization to left-handed circular polarization. The origin of the spin-dependent voltage sign is the broken symmetries of the electric and magnetic fields in the triangle hole due to the opposite circular polarizations. The demonstrated results open up many opportunities in further investigating the second-order nonlinear optical effects of metamaterials and metasurfaces, and developing applications in high-speed photodetectors, polarimeters, and optical sensors.