Phys.org February 7, 2022
Researchers in Germany produced nanowires consisting of a gallium arsenide core and an indium aluminum arsenide shell. The different chemical ingredients resulted in the crystal structures in the shell and the core having slightly different lattice spacings. This causes the shell to exert a high mechanical strain on the much thinner core changing the electronic properties of gallium arsenide in the core. They demonstrated that the strain in lattice-mismatched core/shell nanowires can affect the effective mass of electrons in a way that boosts their mobility to distinct levels. The electrons inside core of nanowires exhibited mobility values 30–50 % higher than in equivalent unstrained nanowires or bulk crystals, as measured at room temperature. According to the researchers this phenomenon offers novel opportunities for the development of ultrafast transistors… read more. Open Access TECHNICAL ARTICLE
Terahertz spectroscopy measurements showed that the strained core of semiconductor nanowires can host fast moving electrons, a concept that could be employed for a new generation of nano-transistors. Credit: HZDR/Juniks