Spatial bandgap engineering along single alloy nanowires.

Bandgap engineering of semiconductor nanowires is important in designing nanoscale multifunctional optoelectronic devices. Here, we report a facile thermal evaporation method, and realize the spatial bandgap engineering in single CdS(1-x)Se(x) alloy nanowires. Along the length of these achieved nanowires, the composition can be continuously tuned from x = 0 (CdS) at one end to x = 1 (CdSe) at the other end, resulting in the corresponding bandgap (light emission wavelength) being modulated gradually from 2.44 eV (507 nm, green light) to 1.74 eV (710 nm, red light). In spite of the existing composition (crystal lattice) transition along the length, these multicolor nanowires still possess high-quality crystallization. These bandgap engineered nanowires will have promising applications in such as multicolor display and lighting, high-efficiency solar cells, ultrabroadly spectral detectors, and biotechnology.