Optical phonon modes in InGaN/GaN dot-in-a-wire heterostructures grown by molecular beam epitaxy

We report on the studies of optical phonon modes in nearly defect-free GaN nanowires embedded with intrinsic InGaN quantum dots by using oblique angle transmission infrared spectroscopy. These phonon modes are dependent on the nanowire fill-factor, doping densities of the nanowires, and the presence of InGaN dots. These factors can be applied for potential phonon based photodetectors whose spectral responses can be tailored by varying a combination of these three parameters. The optical anisotropy along the growth (c-) axis of the GaN nanowire contributes to the polarization agility of such potential photodetectors. (C) 2013 American Institute of Physics. [http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.4798245]