Tailoring Electronic Transparency of Twin-Plane 1D Superlattices

The structural properties of twin-plane superlattices in InP nanowires are systematically analyzed. First, we employ molecular dynamics simulations to determine the strain fields in nanowires grown in the [111] direction. These fields are produced by the formation of twin-planes and by surface effects. By using the stress tensor obtained from molecular dynamics simulations, we are able to describe changes on the electronic structure of these nanowires. On the basis of the resulting electronic structure, we confirm that a one-dimensional superlattice is indeed formed. Furthermore, we describe the transport properties of both electrons and holes in the twin-plane superlattices. In contrast to the predicted transparency of Gamma-electrons in heterolayered III-V semiconductor superlattices, we verify that surface effects in 1D systems open up possibilities of electronic structure engineering and the modulation of their transport and optical responses.