Optoelectronic properties of single-crystalline GaInAsSb quaternary alloy nanowires

Bandgap engineering of semiconductor nanomaterials is critical for their applications in nanoelectronics, optoelectronics, and photonics. Here we report, for the first time, the growth of single-crystalline quaternary alloyed Ga_0.75In_0.25As_0.49Sb_0.51 nanowires via a chemical-vapor-deposition method. The synthesized nanowires have a uniform composition distribution along the growth direction, with a zinc-blende structure. In the photoluminescence investigation, these quaternary alloyed semiconductor nanowires show a strong band edge light emission at 1950 nm (0.636 eV). Photodetectors based on these alloy nanowires show a strong light response in the near-infrared region (980 nm) with the external quantum efficiency of 2.0×10⁴% and the responsivity of 158 A/W. These novel near-infrared photodetectors may find promising applications in integrated infrared photodetection, information communication, and processing.