title: Highly polarized photoluminescence and photodetection from single indium phosphide nanowires.
abstract: We have characterized the fundamental photoluminescence (PL) properties of individual, isolated indium phosphide (InP) nanowires to define their potential for optoelectronics. Polarization-sensitive measurements reveal a striking anisotropy in the PL intensity recorded parallel and perpendicular to the long axis of a nanowire. The order-of-magnitude polarization anisotropy was quantitatively explained in terms of the large dielectric contrast between these free-standing nanowires and surrounding environment, as opposed to quantum confinement effects. This intrinsic anisotropy was used to create polarization-sensitive nanoscale photodetectors that may prove useful in integrated photonic circuits, optical switches and interconnects, near-field imaging, and high-resolution detectors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Division of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: M S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Gudiksen
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Duan
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Cui
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Lieber