Semiconductor-homojunction induction in single-crystal GaN nanostructures under a transverse electric field: Ab initio calculations

Abstract

Ab initio calculations show that a transverse electric field induces a homojunction across the diameter of initially semiconducting GaN single-crystal nanotubes (SCNTs) and nanowires (NWs). The homojunction arises due to the decreased energy of the electronic states in the higher potential region with respect to the energy of those states in the lower potential region under the transverse electric field. Calculations on SCNTs and NWs of different diameters and wall thicknesses show that the threshold electric field required for the semiconductor-homojunction induction increases with increasing wall thickness and decreases significantly with increasing diameter. © 2010 The American Physical Society.