Core–shell nanowires: From the ensemble to single-wire characterization

Recent investigations of core–shell nanowires using synchrotron radiation techniques deduced the average structural parameters of heterostructure core–shell nanowires. Here, we report on first results and discuss the problems arising when measuring such complex nanostructures by using nanofocusing X-ray techniques. InAs/InAsP core–shell nanowires exhibit a certain bending, the origin of which is described using finite element simulations assuming a displacement of the core, and a gradient in the chemical composition of the wire’s shell.