Free-Standing Two-Dimensional Single-Crystalline InSb Nanosheets

TL;DR

This paper reports a novel method for growing high-quality, free-standing two-dimensional single-crystalline InSb nanosheets on InAs nanowires, enabling advancements in nanoelectronics, optoelectronics, and quantum physics research.

Contribution

It introduces a new growth technique for layered InSb nanosheets on nanowires, achieving high crystallinity and desirable electronic properties.

Findings

Successful growth of pure zinc-blende InSb nanosheets

Nanosheets have lengths up to several micrometers and thicknesses around 10 nm

Nanosheets exhibit high electron mobility and ambipolar behavior

Abstract

Growth of high-quality single-crystalline InSb layers remains challenging in material science. Such layered InSb materials are highly desired for searching for and manipulation of Majorana fermions in solid state, a fundamental research task in physics today, and for development of novel high-speed nanoelectronic and infrared optoelectronic devices. Here we report on a new route towards growth of single-crystalline, layered InSb materials. We demonstrate the successful growth of free-standing, two-dimensional InSb nanosheets on one-dimensional InAs nanowires by molecular-beam epitaxy. The grown InSb nanosheets are pure zinc-blende single crystals. The length and width of the InSb nanosheets are up to several micrometers and the thickness is down to ~10 nm. The InSb nanosheets show a clear ambipolar behavior and a high electron mobility. Our work will open up new technology routes towards the development of InSb-based devices for applications in nanoelectronics, optoelectronics and quantum electronics, and for study of fundamental physical phenomena.