Abstract

The design and realization of 1D systems incorporating well-defined quantum heterostructures is regarded as a very promising route towards novel nanoelectronic and spintronic functionalities as well as photonics integration. In this context, the semiconductor nanowire technology provides a robust platform for the development of nano-heterostructures with engineered electronic and optical properties. In the Nanowire Group at the NEST Laboratory of Scuola Normale Superiore (Pisa, Italy) the unique properties of III -V semiconductor nanowires are exploited to develop innovative functional nanodevices. Our research interest is mainly focused on single electron devices [1] and nanoscale thermoelectrics [2]. Besides, we have recently proposed hybrid metal/semiconductor systems for electro-optics applications, and systems with doping-engineering for nano-plasmonics [3]. I will illustrate how, starting from InAs/InP nanowires implementing quantum dots (QDs), we achieved electrostatic control of the spin configuration in few electron systems using a method which exploits the Stark effect [1]. This allowed us to independently address the filling of two QDs separated by only few nanometers, leading to a fully-functional device without the need of implementing any challenging nanoscale gating architecture. [1] F. Rossella, et al., Nat. Nanotech. 9, 997-1001 (2014); L. Romeo, et al., Nano Lett. 12, 4490–4494 (2012); S. Roddaro, et al., Nano Lett. 11, 1695–1699 (2011) [2] E.S. Tikhonov, et al., Sci. Rep., accepted (2016); S. Yazji, et al., Nano Res. 8, 1-13 (2015); S. Roddaro, et al., Nano Lett. 13, 3638–3642 (2013); F. Rossella, et al., Adv. Mater. 24, 2453–2458 (2012) [3] M. Orrù, et al., Phys. Rev. Appl. 4, 044010 (2015); F. Rossella, et al., Nano Lett., under review (2016); A. Arcangeli, et al., Nano Lett., under review (2016)