Spatially Resolved Photoelectric Performance of Axial GaAs Nanowire pn-Diodes

The spatially resolved photoelectric response of a single axial GaAs nanowire pn-diode has been investigated with scanning photocurrent and Kelvin probe force microscopy. Optical generation of carriers at the pn-junction has been shown to dominate the photoresponse. A photocurrent of 88 pA, an open circuit voltage of 0.56 V and a fill factor of 69% were obtained under AM 1.5 G conditions. The photocurrent followed the increasing photoexcitation with 0.24 A/W up to an illumination density of at least 90 W/cm2, which is important for potential applications in concentrator solar cells.