Suspended semiconductor nanostructures: physics and technology

The current state of research on quantum and ballistic electron transport in semiconductor nanostructures with a two-dimensional electron gas separated from the substrate and nanoelectromechanical systems is reviewed. These nanostructures fabricated using the surface nanomachining technique have certain unexpected features in comparison to their non-suspended counterparts, such as additional mechanical degrees of freedom, enhanced electron-electron interaction and weak heat sink. Moreover, their mechanical functionality can be used as an additional tool for studying the electron transport, complementary to the ordinary electrical measurements. The article includes a comprehensive review of spin-dependent electron transport and multichannel effects in suspended quantum point contacts, ballistic and adiabatic transport in suspended nanostructures, as well as investigations on nanoelectromechanical systems. We aim to provide an overview of the state-of-the-art in suspended semiconductor nanostructures and their applications in nanoelectronics, spintronics and emerging quantum technologies.