High verticality vapor-liquid-solid growth of GaAsBi nanowires using Ga-Bi assisted catalytic droplets.

GaAsBi nanowires (NWs) are promising for optoelectronic applications in the near- and mid-infrared wavelengths due to the optical properties of the Bi-containing compound and the nanowire structure benefits. In general, synthesizing the GaAsBi NWs results in uncontrollable metamorphic structures and spontaneous Bi-containing droplets. Here, we explore the potential of using the droplets as catalysts to form GaAsBi nanowires (hence, the vapor-liquid-solid growth mechanism) on GaAs (111) substrates by molecular beam epitaxy.