Longer InN phonon lifetimes in nanowires

Abstract

We present a Raman scattering study of the anharmonic phonon decay of the E low 2, E high 2 and E1(LO) phonons in InN nanowires over the 80-400 K temperature range. While the temperature-dependent anharmonic decay in the nanowires is similar to that found for bulk InN, the background contribution to the phonon lifetime is strongly reduced as a result of the improved crystalline quality. High-resolution measurements reveal a remarkably long lifetime of the E low 2 mode. From the comparison between the E low 2 frequencies measured in the nanowires with those of the thin film we obtain the deformation potentials for the E low 2 mode. © 2012 IOP Publishing Ltd.