Flux Quantization Effects in InN Nanowires

Abstract

InN nanowires, grown by plasma-enhanced molecular beam epitaxy, were investigated by means of magnetotransport. By performing temperature-dependent transport measurements and current measurements on a large number of nanowires of different dimensions, it is proven that the carrier transport mainly takes place in a tube-like surface electron gas. Measurements on three representative nanowires under an axially oriented magnetic field revealed pronounced magnetoconductance oscillations with a periodicity corresponding to a single magnetic flux quantum. The periodicity is explained by the effect of the magnetic flux penetrating the coherent circular quantum states in the InN nanowires, rather than by Aharonov-Bohm type interferences. The occurrence of the single magnetic flux quantum periodicity is attributed to the magnetic flux dependence of phase-coherent circular states with different angular momentum quantum numbers forming the one-dimensional transport channels. These phase coherent states can exist because of the almost ideal crystalline properties of the InN nanowires prepared by self-assembled growth.