A theoretical model of lateral photoeffects in amorphous materials

A recent observation of the lateral photoeffect in multilayers of amorphous silicon and titanium has renewed the interest in this phenomenon. In this communication, a theoretical model of the effect is developed for a quantitative understanding of the effect and to assess the potential of its applications in large area electronic devices. The model has been specifically developed for the case of lateral photoeffect in amorphous materials. In addition to reproducing the observed unique features of the effect, the model quantitatively specifies the requirements on the transport parameters, in particular the carrier diffusion lengths, for the observation of a significant lateral photoeffect in macroscopic scale.