  Active nanowires and nanofibers can be realized by the electric-field induced
stretching of polymer solutions with sufficient molecular entanglements. The
resulting nanomaterials are attracting an increasing attention in view of their
application in a wide variety of fields, including optoelectronics, photonics,
energy harvesting, nanoelectronics, and microelectromechanical systems.
Realizing nanocomposite nanofibers is especially interesting in this respect.
In particular, methods suitable for embedding inorganic nanocrystals in
electrified jets and then in active fiber systems allow for controlling
light-scattering and refractive index properties in the realized fibrous
materials. We here report on the design, realization, and morphological and
spectroscopic characterization of new species of active, composite nanowires
and nanofibers for nanophotonics. We focus on the properties of
light-confinement and photon transport along the nanowire longitudinal axis,
and on how these depend on nanoparticle incorporation. Optical losses
mechanisms and their influence on device design and performances are also
presented and discussed.
