Electronic and magnetic states in core multishell nanowires: Edge localization, Landau levels and Aharonov-Bohm oscillations

We study the electronic states of hexagonal core multishell semiconductor nanowires, including the effect of magnetic fields. We find that the two dimensional electron states formed at the interface between different layers are mostly localized at the six edges of the hexagonal prism, and behave as a set of quasi-1D quantum channels. They can be manipulated by magnetic fields either parallel or perpendicular to the wire axis. These results can be rationalized in terms of Aharonov-Bohm oscillations or Landau level formation. We also show that inter-channel coupling and magnetic behavior is influenced by the geometric details of the nanowires. © 2009 IOP Publishing Ltd.