Optically manipulated nanomechanics of semiconductor nanowires

Opto-electromechanical coupling at the nanoscale is an important topic in new scientific studies and technical applications. In this work, the optically manipulated electromechanical behaviors of individual cadmium sulfide (CdS) nanowires are investigated by a customer-built optical holder inside transmission electron microscope, wherein in situ electromechanical resonance took place in conjunction with photo excitation. It is found that the natural resonance frequency of the nanowire under illumination becomes considerably lower than that under darkness. This redshift effect is closely related to the wavelength of the applied light and the diameter of the nanowires. Density functional theory (DFT) calculation shows that the photoexcitation leads to the softening of CdS nanowires and thus the redshift of natural frequency, which is in agreement with the experimental results.