Fabrication, structure, and transport properties of nanowires

Nanowire systems have attracted a great deal of attention recently due to their technological potential. They are of fundamental interest because they exhibit unique quantum confinement effects. In this article, advances in the fabrication of nanowires via template-assisted and laser-assisted approaches are reviewed. The structure and characteristics of different nanowire systems are discussed. To understand and predict the unusual properties of nanowires, we have developed a generalized theoretical model for the band structure of these one-dimensional systems. A unique semimetal-semiconductor transition that occurs in bismuth nanowires is described. Transport measurements on bismuth and antimony nanowires illustrate that these novel materials are very different from their bulk counterparts. A transport model, based on the band-structure calculations, is presented to explain the experimental results and to gain insight into the transport phenomena of nanowire systems.