Semiconductor nanowire lasers are single-element structures that can act as both gain material and cavity for optical lasing. They have typical dimensions on the order of an optical wavelength in diameter and several micrometres in length, presenting unique challenges for testing and characterisation. Optical microscopy and spectroscopy are powerful tools used to study nanowire lasers; here, we review the common techniques and analytical approaches often used and outline potential pitfalls in their application. We aim to outline best practise and experimental approaches used for characterisation of the material, cavity and lasing performance of nanowires towards applications in biology, photonics and telecommunications.

半导体纳米线激光器是单元件结构，既可以用作增益材料，也可以用作光学激光的腔体。它们的典型尺寸直径约为光波长，长度为几微米，对测试和表征提出了独特的挑战。光学显微镜和光谱学是用于研究纳米线激光器的强大工具；在这里，我们回顾了常用的技术和分析方法，并概述了其应用中的潜在缺陷。我们的目标是概述用于表征纳米线在生物学、光子学和电信应用中的材料、腔和激光性能的最佳实践和实验方法。