Monolithically integrated bacteriorhodopsin-GaAs field-effect transistor photoreceiver.

We have applied the large photovoltage developed across a layer of selectively deposited bacteriorhodopsin to the gate terminal of a monolithically integrated GaAs-based modulation-doped field-effect transistor, which delivers an amplified photoinduced current signal. The integrated biophotoreceiver device exhibits a responsivity of 3.8 A/W. The optoelectronic integrated circuit is achieved by molecular-beam epitaxy of the field-effect transistor's heterostructure, photolithography, and selective-area bacteriorhodopsin electrodeposition.