Wavelength sensitive photo-sensing from discrete crystalline tungsten oxide nanowires

In this work, electrical transport properties of discrete tungsten oxide nanowires and changes in their electrical properties in response to irradiation of laser beam were investigated. The tungsten oxide nanowires were found to exhibit photo-sensing property and the photo-induced modification in their electrical conductivity was found to be highly wavelength selective. Experiments carried out in controlled environment suggest that the observed wavelength selective photoresponse in these nanowires was due to laser-induced desorption of water and oxygen molecules from the nanowires which in turn resulted in a change in electrical conductivity of the nanowires.