Nanophotonics
Single crystalline semiconductor NWs have been extensively investigated as building blocks for ultra-small and entirely new electronic and photonic devices, due to their unique electronic and optical properties. The sub-wavelength diameters of NW structur
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Nanophotonics
Abstract Single crystalline semiconductor NWs have been extensively investigated as building blocks for ultra-small and entirely new electronic and photonic devices, due to their unique electronic and optical properties. The sub-wavelength diameters of NW structures and tunable energy band gaps provide a host of advantages for investigating generation, detection, amplification and modulation of light. Photonic platforms using NW building blocks also offers the promise of integrated functionalities at dimensions compatible with top-down fabricated electronics. With rational design and synthesis of the NW structures, the capability of controlling and manipulating these structures on surface to form single devices and networks is a crucial step for realizing these chemically synthesized NWs into photonic circuitry. In this chapter we will review progress made in the area of NW photonic devices, including waveguides, light-emitting diodes, lasers, and photodetectors.
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Introduction
The field of photonics in essence focuses on the control of photons in free space or in matter [1]. Manipulation of photons in semiconductor bulk crystals and thin films has culminated in breakthroughs such as light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and lasers [2]. With the shrinking of devices to smaller length scales in the microelectronics industry, the continuing success of photonic technologies also relies on the discovery of new optical materials, integration strategies and the miniaturization of optoelectronic devices for better performance, lower cost and lower power consumption. Although state-of-the-art lithography technologies are capable of fabricating nanostructured features and functionalities [3], chemically grown NWs still posses unique advantages, including single-crystalline, diameter and morphology controlled structures with near atomically smooth surfaces, as well as the potential for hetero-integration with electronics and other materials via bottom-up assembly [4–7]. NW photonics is a particularly exciting frontier due to the ability to precisely control NW composition and hence the resulting bandgap, which cannot be © Springer International Publishing Switzerland 2016 A. Zhang et al., Nanowires, NanoScience and Technology, DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-41981-7_6
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Nanophotonics
accomplished with CNTs, and using a combination of nanolithography tools, it is possible to assemble photonic circuits with designed functions [8–13]. NWs synthesized from direct bandgap semiconductors have shown tremendous promise for assembling subwavelength nanophotonic devices for the generation, waveguiding, and detection of light at the nanoscale [10]. Nanophotonic devices such as optically-pumped and electrically-driven NW lasers, waveguides, light emitting diodes (LEDs), photodetectors, have been successfully demonstrated [8, 9, 11–13]. In addition to miniaturization of devices, NW-based photonic systems can provide many interesting and novel device concepts in comparison to planar technology. The potential for co-assembling
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