Materials World Network: Collaborative Proposal: Exploring Reduced-Dimensional Behavior of Excitations in Tailored Semiconductor Nanowire Heterostructures

半导体纳米线已经成为一类新的材料，在揭示新的基础物理和推动新的应用方面具有巨大的潜力。这一国际合作研究项目汇集了来自美国(辛辛那提大学和迈阿密大学)和澳大利亚(澳大利亚国立大学和昆士兰大学)的研究团队，他们拥有最先进的半导体纳米线异质结构生长、高分辨率电子显微镜和高分辨率光学光谱方面的专业知识，以促进对这些独特纳米结构电子景观的理解。总的目标是了解纳米线异质结构如何影响电子态的物理及其相互作用。该团队的协作研究将探索三个重要的研究方向：(1)实现III-V纳米线以及径向、轴向和混合纳米线异质结构的高质量生长(2)了解这些新型纳米线异质结构的物理原理(3)测量和了解这些结构的p型和n型掺杂。这些研究有望促进对定制径向和轴向异质结构中量子限制的本质的理解，以及量子限制如何影响局域和连续电子态及其与纳米线中其他基本激发的耦合、自旋、散射机制以及与外部电场和磁场的相互作用。这项研究将直接涉及国际环境下多学科领域研究生、博士后研究员和本科生之间的互动和培养。该项目还将在纳米科学和工程的关键领域培训我们的国家-S未来的劳动力。该奖项由数学和物理科学局的材料研究部和国际科学与工程办公室共同资助。

Semiconductor nanowires have emerged as a new class of materials with significant potential to reveal new fundamental physics and to propel new applications. This international collaborative research project brings together research teams from USA (University of Cincinnati, and Miami University) and Australia (Australian National University and University of Queensland) with expertise in state-of-the-art semiconductor nanowire heterostructure growth, high resolution electron microscopy, and high resolution optical spectroscopy, to advance the understanding of the electronic landscapes of these unique nanostructures. The overall goal is to understand how nanowire heterostructures affect the physics of electronic states and their interactions. The synergistic, collaborative research of this team will explore three significant research thrusts: (1) Achieving high quality growth of III-V nanowires and radial, axial and hybrid nanowire heterostructures (2) Understanding the physics of these novel nanowire heterostructures (3) Measuring and understanding p- and n- type doping of these structures. These studies are expected to advance the understanding of the nature of quantum confinement in tailored radial and axial heterostructures, how quantum confinement affects the localized and continuum electronic states and their coupling, spins, scattering mechanisms with other elementary excitations in nanowires, as well as interactions with external electric and magnetic fields. This research will directly involve the interaction among and the training of graduate students, postdoctoral fellows and undergraduate students in multi-disciplinary area in an international setting. All participants in this research will be involved in an annual "Saturday International Nano Science and Engineering Day" for area middle school students where potential young scientists and engineers can explore nanoscience in an exciting hands-on environment.The development of a fundamental understanding of the 0- and 1-dimensional physics of nanowire heterostructures will have strong societal benefits, influencing the development of new thrusts in optoelectronic device technology and ultimately making possible new varieties of sensors and other compact devices. This project will also train our nation?s future workforce in the critical areas of nanoscience and engineering. The exposure of graduate and undergraduate students, as well as postdoctoral fellows, to an international interdisciplinary scientific environment will deepen their understanding of the science involved and inform a more sophisticated perspective on the challenges and effectiveness of international collaboration, a signature of successful 21st research in nanoscience.This Materials World Network award makes possible a coherent integrated research and education effort among four universities in the US and Australia, on the growth and characterization of semiconductor nanowires as well as the understanding of the physics of their electronic states. This award is jointly funded by the Division of Materials Research in the Mathematical and Physical Sciences Directorate and the Office of International Science and Engineering.