Nanoscale investigations of the photovoltaic response in functional microstructures

The bulk photovoltaic effect has been previously studied extensively in several materials. In contrast, localised responses to light exposure in materials have been less well studied due to a lack of nanoscale techniques that could offer nanometer-scale resolution.

There exist interesting opportunities to study such localised responses as the relevant mechanisms generating functional responses could be different from those seen in the bulk of the material. With the advent of photoconductive atomic force microscopy in recent years, it has become possible to examine the role of interfaces in materials at relevant length scales. This thesis employs the technique to examine photovoltaic response in three material systems with functional microstructures (and associated interfaces) to establish the light-mediated changes in functional behaviour in each case.