Carbon-atom wires produced by nanosecond pulsed laser deposition in a background gas

TL;DR

This paper reports the synthesis of carbon-atom wires using nanosecond pulsed laser deposition in a background gas, revealing optimal conditions and mechanisms for their formation, with potential for targeted fabrication of sp-carbon structures.

Contribution

It introduces a novel method for producing carbon-atom wires via pulsed laser deposition under specific conditions, advancing understanding of their formation mechanisms.

Findings

CAWs are mixed with sp2 amorphous carbon in the films

Optimal deposition parameters for sp-carbon phase identified

Mechanistic insights into carbon wire formation provided

Abstract

Wires of sp-hybridized carbon atoms are attracting interest for both fundamental aspects of carbon science and for their appealing functional properties. The synthesis by physical vapor deposition has been reported to provide sp-rich carbon films but still needs to be further developed and understood in detail. Here the synthesis of carbon-atom wires (CAWs) has been achieved by nanosecond pulsed laser deposition (PLD) expoliting the strong out-of-equilibrium conditions occurring when the ablation plasma is confined in a background gas. Surface Enhnaced Raman scattering (SERS) spectra of deposited films indicates that CAWs are mixed with a mainly $sp^2$ amorphous carbon in a $sp-sp^2$ hybrid material. Optimal conditions for the deposition of sp-carbon phase have been investigated by changing deposition parameters thus suggesting basic mechanisms of carbon wires formation. Our proof-of-concept may open new perspectives for the targeted fabrication of CAWs and $sp-sp^2$ structures.