Controlled cleavage of single semiconducting nanowires and study on the suitability of their use as nanocavities for nanolasers
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A Kleindiek MM3A nanoprobe let Peking University cleave single semiconductor nanowires to length inside the SEM — engineering nanowire cavities for future nanolasers.
Single semiconducting nanowires (CdS, ZnO) are cleaved to a chosen length at a chosen position inside the SEM using an MM3A nanoprobe, then re-examined by SEM and TEM. The cleaved ends are generally atomically flat, and the authors estimate how residual atomic steps would affect a nanowire used as a Fabry–Pérot cavity for a nanolaser, concluding the effect is negligible above a few micrometres of length. Stephan Kleindiek is acknowledged for technical help with the nanoprobe.
