Pronounced polarization anisotropy in semiconductor nanowires has been exploited to achieve polarization-sensitive devices operating across the electromagnetic spectrum, from the ultraviolet to the terahertz band. This contribution describes the physical origins of optical and electrical anisotropy in nanowires. Polarization anisotropy arising from dielectric contrast, and the behaviour of (nano)wire grid polarizers, are derived from first principles. This review discusses experimental observations of polarization-sensitive light–matter interactions in nanowires. It then describes how these phenomena are employed in devices that detect or modulate polarized terahertz radiation on ultrafast timescales. Such novel terahertz device concepts are expected to find use in a wide variety of applications including high-speed terahertz-band communications and molecular fingerprinting.

半导体纳米线中明显的偏振各向异性已被用于实现在从紫外到太赫兹波段的电磁光谱中工作的偏振敏感器件。该贡献描述了纳米线中光学和电学各向异性的物理起源。由介电对比度引起的偏振各向异性和（纳米）线栅偏振器的行为源自第一原理。本综述讨论了纳米线中偏振敏感的光-物质相互作用的实验观察结果。然后，它描述了如何在超快时间尺度上检测或调制偏振太赫兹辐射的设备中使用这些现象。