Selective-Area-Growth of Bi nanowires on GaSb(111)B

Bismuth (Bi), an elemental material with strong spin–orbit coupling and nontrivial topological phases, has emerged as a promising platform for exploring quantum phenomena in reduced dimensions. In particular, Bi nanowires provide a versatile system for exploring one-dimensional topological states and quantum transport effects. In this work, we report selective area growth (SAG) of in-plane Bi nanowires on lithographically patterned grown GaSb(111) substrates using molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). We demonstrate facet- and direction-dependent Bi growth and investigate the evolution of Bi morphology with varying film thickness and growth temperature. Structural analysis on thin films reveals that Bi grown on GaSb(111) facets forms smooth, single-phase epitaxial layers, while Bi grown on GaSb(001) facets develop rough, mixed-phase morphologies. Transport measurements on Bi nanowires exhibit pronounced weak anti-localization (WAL) and nonlinear Hall responses, indicative of strong spin–orbit coupling and phase-coherent transport. These results establish a direct correlation between crystalline quality, dimensional confinement, and quantum coherence in Bi nanowires, underscoring their promise for future topological and quantum device applications.