Nanowires (NWs) are promising components for next-generation electronic and optical devices, and the vapor-liquid-solid (VLS) growth is a widely studied method for NW fabrication.However,many fundamental questions regarding the VLS mechanism are still not understood, such as NW kinking during growth.Kinking, a sudden change in axial orientation of nanowires during growth,is a common defect that complicates the directed synthesis of these nanocrystals.Understanding such defects is important for better control of the NW orientation, yield and quality required for applications.