Free-Standing Two-Dimensional Single-Crystalline InSb Nanosheets

Growth of high-quality single-crystalline InSb layers remains challenging in material science. Such layered InSb materials are highly desired for searching for and manipulation of Majorana Fermions in solid state, a fundamental research task in physics today, and for development of novel high-speed nanoelectronic and infrared optoelectronic devices. Here, we report on a new route toward growth of single-crystalline, layered InSb materials. We demonstrate the successful growth of free-standing, two-dimensional InSb nanosheets on one-dimensional InAs nanowires by molecular-beam epitaxy. The grown InSb nanosheets are pure zinc-blende single crystals. The length and width of the InSb nanosheets are up to several micrometers and the thickness is down to ∼10 nm. The InSb nanosheets show a clear ambipolar behavior and a high electron mobility. Our work will open up new technology routes toward the development of InSb-based devices for applications in nanoelectronics, optoelectronics, and quantum electronics and for the study of fundamental physical phenomena.