Abstract
The electronic structure characteristics of silicon nanowires under tensile and compressive strain are studied using first-principles density functional theory. The unique wirelike structure leads to distinct hole distributions in the core and shell regions, which can be characterized by the electronic band structures of the light-hole and heavy-hole states. The onset transition pressure for silicon nanowires is shown to be lower than the value of bulk counterpart, in conformity with experimental observations. These results demonstrate that the impact of strain on the electronic characteristics is important for nanodevice applications.