Modified reflection in birefringent layers of core-shell semiconductor nanowires

Birefringent layers of GaP nanowires are grown by metal-organic vapor phase epitaxy on top of a GaP substrate. We modified the reflection of the as-grown layer by adding a shell of 12 nm of SiO2 around the nanowires. The effect of the shell on the effective refractive indices of the birefringent nanowire layer was calculated using Maxwell–Garnett effective medium theory for coated cylinders. The large change of the reflection due to the shell renders nanowire layers a promising material for sensing applications.