Materials
Zinc oxide nanowires: synthesis and optical spectroscopy
A study of how zinc oxide nanowires are synthesised and what their optical spectra reveal about structure and defects.
Zinc oxide is a semiconductor with useful optical and electrical properties. When it is grown as nanowires, the high surface area and the confined geometry change how it behaves, and those changes can be followed through spectroscopy.
The work examines the synthesis of zinc oxide nanowires and uses optical spectroscopy to interpret their structure. Features in the spectrum can indicate defects, strain or the quality of the crystal, which in turn affect performance in a device.