Search

Here, we report the synthesis and characterization of nano-, micro-, twinned, and lonsdaleite diamonds, which are formed after melting and quenching of amorphous carbon or Q-carbon essentially at room temperature and atmospheric pressure. These conversions depend on the degree of undercooling, which is controlled by the laser parameters and thermal conductivities of the amorphous carbon and the substrate. The laser melting and undercooling provide liquid-phase packing of atoms similar to high-pressure, which facilitate the conversion of amorphous carbon into diamond or Q-carbon without using any catalyst. By changing the nucleation and growth rates, we have synthesized a wide range of sizes (4 nm to 3 μm) of diamond crystals. The formation of twinned and lonsdaleite diamonds is controlled by the quenching rate. Therefore, we have created a “factory of diamonds” at ambient conditions by nanosecond laser annealing, which will pave the pathway to design high-speed mechanical and electrical devices.Here, we report the synthesis and characterization of nano-, micro-, twinned, and lonsdaleite diamonds, which are formed after melting and quenching of amorphous carbon or Q-carbon essentially at room temperature and atmospheric pressure. These conversions depend on the degree of undercooling, which is controlled by the laser parameters and thermal conductivities of the amorphous carbon and the substrate. The laser melting and undercooling provide liquid-phase packing of atoms similar to high-pressure, which facilitate the conversion of amorphous carbon into diamond or Q-carbon without using any catalyst. By changing the nucleation and growth rates, we have synthesized a wide range of sizes (4 nm to 3 μm) of diamond crystals. The formation of twinned and lonsdaleite diamonds is controlled by the quenching rate. Therefore, we have created a “factory of diamonds” at ambient conditions by nanosecond laser annealing, which will pave the pathway to design high-speed mechanical and electrical devices.

Following a brief report on high-temperature superconductivity in B-doped Q-carbon [Bhaumik et al., ACS Nano 11(6), 5351–5357 (2017)], we present detailed structure-property correlations to understand the origin of superconductivity in strongly bonded lightweight materials and methods to further enhance the superconducting transition temperature (Tc). Nanosecond melting of carbon in a super undercooled state and rapid quenching result in a strongly bonded unique phase of B-doped Q-carbon. The temperature-dependent resistivity and magnetic susceptibility measurements demonstrate type II superconductivity in this material with a transition temperature of 36.0 ± 0.5 K and an upper critical field of 5.4 T at ∼0 K. It has also been shown that in B-doped Q-carbon, the upper critical magnetic field (Hc2(T)) follows Hc2(0) [1-(T/Tc)2.1] temperature dependence and is consistent with the Bardeen–Cooper–Schrieffer formalism. In the present study, B-doped Q-carbon thin films are formed on sapphire substrates by emplo...

Physical properties of reduced graphene oxide (rGO) are strongly dependent on the ratio of sp2 to sp3 hybridized carbon atoms and the presence of different functional groups in its structural framework. This research for the very first time illustrates successful wafer scale integration of graphene-related materials by a pulsed laser deposition technique, and controlled conversion of p to n-type 2D rGO by pulsed laser annealing using a nanosecond ArF excimer laser. Reduced graphene oxide is grown onto c-sapphire by employing pulsed laser deposition in a laser MBE chamber and is intrinsically p-type in nature. Subsequent laser annealing converts p into n-type rGO. The XRD, SEM, and Raman spectroscopy indicate the presence of large-area rGO onto c-sapphire having Raman-active vibrational modes: D, G, and 2D. High-resolution SEM and AFM reveal the morphology due to interfacial instability and formation of n-type rGO. Temperature-dependent resistance data of rGO thin films follow the Efros-Shklovskii variable...

Physical properties of reduced graphene oxide (rGO) strongly depend on the ratio of sp2 to sp3 hybridized carbon atoms, the presence of different functional groups, and the characteristics of the substrates. This research for the very first time illustrates successful wafer scale integration of 2D rGO with Cu/TiN/Si, employing pulsed laser deposition followed by laser annealing of carbon-doped copper layers using nanosecond excimer lasers. The XRD, SEM, and Raman spectroscopy measurements indicate the presence of large area rGO onto Si having Raman active vibrational modes: D, G, and 2D. A high resolution SEM depicts the morphology and formation of rGO from zone-refined carbon formed after nanosecond laser annealing. Temperature-dependent resistance data of rGO thin films follow the Efros-Shklovskii variable range hopping (VRH) model in the low-temperature region and Arrhenius conduction in the high-temperature regime. The photoluminescence spectra also reveal a less intense and broader blue fluorescence ...

We have created a new state of BN (named Q-BN) through rapid melting and super undercooling and quenching by using nanosecond laser pulses. Phase pure c-BN is formed either by direct quenching of super undercooled liquid or by nucleation and growth from Q-BN. Thus, a direct conversion of hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) into phase-pure cubic boron nitride (c-BN) is achieved by nanosecond pulsed laser melting at ambient temperatures and atmospheric pressure in air. According to the P-T phase diagram, the transformation from h-BN into c-BN under equilibrium processing can occur only at high temperatures and pressures, as the hBN-cBN-Liquid triple point is at 3500 K/9.5 GPa or 3700 K/7.0 GPa with a recent theoretical refinement. Using nonequilibrium nanosecond laser melting, we have created super undercooled state and shifted this triple point to as low as 2800 K and atmospheric pressure. The rapid quenching from super undercooled state leads to the formation of a new phase, named as Q-BN. We present detailed ...

We report the discovery of a new phase of carbon (referred to as Q-carbon) and address fundamental issues related to direct conversion of carbon into diamond at ambient temperatures and pressures in air without any need for catalyst and presence of hydrogen. The Q-carbon is formed as result of quenching from super undercooled state by using high-power nanosecond laser pulses. We discuss the equilibrium phase diagram (P vs. T) of carbon and show that by rapid quenching kinetics can shift thermodynamic graphite/diamond/liquid carbon triple point from 5000 K/12 GPa to super undercooled carbon at atmospheric pressure in air. It is shown that nanosecond laser heating of diamond-like amorphous carbon on sapphire, glass, and polymer substrates can be confined to melt carbon in a super undercooled state. By quenching the carbon from the super undercooled state, we have created a new state of carbon (Q-carbon) from which nanodiamond, microdiamond, microneedles, and single-crystal thin films are formed depending upon the nucleation and growth times allowed for diamond formation. The Q-carbon quenched from liquid is a new state of solid carbon with a higher mass density than amorphous carbon and a mixture of mostly fourfold sp3 (75%–85%) with the rest being threefold sp2 bonded carbon (with distinct entropy). It is expected to have new and improved mechanical hardness, electrical conductivity, chemical, and physical properties, including room-temperature ferromagnetism (RTFM) and enhanced field emission. Here we present interesting results on RTFM, enhanced electrical conductivity and surface potential of Q-carbon to emphasize its unique properties. The Q-carbon exhibits robust bulk ferromagnetism with estimated Curie temperature of about 500 K and saturation magnetization value of 20 emu g−1. From the Q-carbon, diamond phase is nucleated and a variety of micro- and nanostructures and large-area single-crystal diamond sheets are grown by allowing growth times as needed. Subsequent laser pulses can be used to grow nanodiamond into microdiamond and nucleate other nanostructures of diamond on the top of existing microdiamond and create novel nanostructured materials. The microstructural details provide insights into the mechanism of formation of nanodiamond, microdiamond, nanoneedles, microneedles, and single-crystal thin films. This process allows carbon-to-diamond conversion and formation of useful nanostructures and microstructures at ambient temperatures in air at atmospheric pressure on practical and heat-sensitive substrates in a controlled way without need for any catalysts and hydrogen to stabilize sp3 bonding for diamond formation.We report the discovery of a new phase of carbon (referred to as Q-carbon) and address fundamental issues related to direct conversion of carbon into diamond at ambient temperatures and pressures in air without any need for catalyst and presence of hydrogen. The Q-carbon is formed as result of quenching from super undercooled state by using high-power nanosecond laser pulses. We discuss the equilibrium phase diagram (P vs. T) of carbon and show that by rapid quenching kinetics can shift thermodynamic graphite/diamond/liquid carbon triple point from 5000 K/12 GPa to super undercooled carbon at atmospheric pressure in air. It is shown that nanosecond laser heating of diamond-like amorphous carbon on sapphire, glass, and polymer substrates can be confined to melt carbon in a super undercooled state. By quenching the carbon from the super undercooled state, we have created a new state of carbon (Q-carbon) from which nanodiamond, microdiamond, microneedles, and single-crystal thin films are formed depending up...

We report on the ferroelectricity for morphotropic-phase-boundary lead (Pb) free 0.5BaTi0.8Zr0.2O3-0.5Ba0.7Ca0.3TiO3 (0.5BZT-0.5BCT) thin films. Thin films were grown on Pt/Ti/SiO2/Si substrate using pulsed laser deposition. Raman spectroscopic data combined with the X-ray diffraction analyses confirm body centered tetragonal crystallographic structure 0.5BZT-0.5 BCT thin films on Pt/Ti/SiO2/Si. Polarization studies demonstrate that these 0.5BZT-0.5BCT films exhibit a large remnant and saturation polarization of 37 μC/cm2 and 40 μC/cm2, respectively, with a coercive field of 140 kV/cm. A correlation between polarization dynamics, structural distortion, and phonon vibration is established. The splitting of X-ray diffraction peak of the thin film in the 2θ range of 44.5° to 46.5° represents high degree of tetragonality. The tetragonality factor calculated by Rietveld analysis was found to be 0.006 and can be a major cause for the increased remnant polarization value. It is established from Raman spectra that the non-centrosymmetricity due to the displacement of Ti/Zr ions from its octahedral position is related to the peak position as well as the broadening of the A1 (LO) optical phonon mode. This increase of broadness in the thin film causes an increase in the dipole moment of the unit cell and, hence, the net increase in polarization values.