  We investigate the crystal properties of CdTe nanowires overgrown with HgTe.
Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and scanning transmission electron
microscopy (STEM) confirm, that the growth results in a high ensemble
uniformity and that the individual heterostructures are single-crystalline,
respectively. We use high-resolution X-ray diffraction (HRXRD) to investigate
strain, caused by the small lattice mismatch between the two materials. We find
that both CdTe and HgTe show changes in lattice constant compared to the
respective bulk lattice constants. The measurements reveal a complex strain
pattern with signatures of both uniaxial and shear strains present in the
overgrown nanowires.
