The realization of new materials can enable revolutionary versus evolutionary advances in science and technology. The Lieber group is committed to the discovery and development of new nanoscale structures with an emphasis to control at different length scales with atomic precision the morphology, size, structure, composition and doping since these will define and enable control over physical properties. Particular emphasis is being placed on developing modulated nanoscale wires, which provide dual function – a device property and interconnection – required in any nanosystem. Areas of current research interest include the following:

• Axial nanowire structures. We are pursuing studies of the growth and characterization of nanowires that involve the modulation of dopant and/or composition along the nanowire axis. Current interest is focused on several systems, including group IV Si/Ge materials, which can possess unique electronic properties, and groups III-V and II-VI materials, which exhibit unique photonic properties.
• Radial nanowire structures. We are pursuing and interested in developing methods for synthesis of novel nanowire materials consisting of concentric radial shells built upon a well-defined nanowire core that we term core/shell (CS) nanowires. Current interests are focused on group IV and groups III-V CS and multishell materials, and also coupling of functional oxide shells to well-defined semiconductor nanowire cores.
• Branched nanowire structures. We are currently interested in developing synthetic methods needed to prepare and introduce function controllably at branch points in both two and three-dimensional structures.

Ultimately, our focus on these general classes of modulated nanowire building blocks is motivated by the idea that increasingly powerful function will arise from controlled structural/compositional complexity, and this will provide a clear pathway towards nanodevices and nanosystems that are unique relative to current technologies.

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