Highly polarized photoluminescence and photodetection from single indium phosphide nanowires

We have characterized the fundamental photoluminescence (PL) properties of individual, isolated indium phosphide (InP) nanowires to define their poten tial for optoelectronics. Polarization-sensitive measurements reveal a stri king anisotropy in the PL intensity recorded parallel and perpendicular to the long axis of a nanowire. The order-of-magnitude polarization anisotropy was quantitatively explained in terms of the large dielectric contrast bet ween these freestanding nanowires and surrounding environment, as opposed t o quantum confinement effects. This intrinsic anisotropy was used to create polarization-sensitive nanoscale photodetectors that may prove useful in i ntegrated photonic circuits, optical switches and interconnects, near-field imaging, and high-resolution detectors.