Nanowire Heterostructures

The nanoscale diameter and high aspect ratio of nanowires are the foundation of fascinating structure-property relationships derived from confinement, interface effects, and mechanical degrees of freedom. When heterostructures are formed by high-quality growth of dissimilar materials on or within nanowires, the interactions of the low-dimensional components and their interfaces can give rise to electronic, photonic, magnetic, and thermal characteristics that are superior to those of (or unattainable in) planar geometries. This tutorial review provides a brief overview of heterostructures with a semiconductor nanowire as the central component, describes the properties of nanoscale components and interfaces, and distills the advantages that arise from the unique structure-property relationships. A select set of these concepts are further elaborated by highlighting electronic, optoelectronic, and energy-related applications that have successfully exploited these advantages.