Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 17, 2026

Evaluating Plasmonic Transport in Current-carrying Silver Nanowires
Published on: December 11, 2013
Current path in light emitting diodes based on nanowire ensembles
F Limbach1, C Hauswald, J Lähnemann
1Paul-Drude-Institut für Festkörperelektronik, Hausvogteiplatz 5-7, D-10117 Berlin, Germany.
Abstract:
Light emitting diodes (LEDs) have been fabricated using ensembles of free-standing (In, Ga)N/GaN nanowires (NWs) grown on Si substrates in the self-induced growth mode by molecular beam epitaxy. Electron-beam-induced current analysis, cathodoluminescence as well as biased μ-photoluminescence spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and electrical measurements indicate that the electroluminescence of such LEDs is governed by the differences in the individual current densities of the single-NW LEDs operated in parallel, i.e. by the inhomogeneity of the current path in the ensemble LED. In addition, the optoelectronic characterization leads to the conclusion that these NWs exhibit N-polarity and that the (In, Ga)N quantum well states in the NWs are subject to a non-vanishing quantum confined Stark effect.
Related Concept Videos
Photoluminescence: Applications
P-N junction
Biasing of P-N Junction
In equilibrium, no external voltage is applied across the p-n junction. The depletion region is formed at the junction interface due to the diffusion of carriers, which leaves behind charged dopants, acceptors on the p-side, and donors on the n-side. These immobile charges create an electric field that prevents further diffusion of carriers. The related energy band...
Photoluminescence: Fluorescence and Phosphorescence
A pair of electrons in a...
Photoreceptors and Visual Pathways
Photoelectric Effect

