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Updated: Jun 26, 2026

Characterization of Ultra-fine Grained and Nanocrystalline Materials Using Transmission Kikuchi Diffraction
Published on: April 1, 2017
Periodic metallo-dielectric structure in diamond
M Shimizu1, Y Shimotsuma, M Sakakura
1Department of Material Chemistry, Kyoto University, Katsura, Kyoto, Japan.
Intense ultrashort light pulses transform diamond into conductive amorphous structures. These laser-processed periodic structures exhibit unique terahertz transmission properties, acting as metallo-dielectric photonic crystals.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Optics and Photonics
- Solid State Physics
Background:
- Diamond, a wide-bandgap insulator, exhibits unique properties.
- Ultrashort laser pulses offer precise material modification capabilities.
- Controlling material properties through laser-induced phase transitions is an active research area.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the localized phase transformation of diamond using intense ultrashort light pulses.
- To characterize the electrical conductivity of laser-induced amorphous structures in diamond.
- To explore the terahertz transmission properties of laser-fabricated periodic structures in diamond.
Main Methods:
- Inducing localized phase transformation in diamond with intense ultrashort light pulses.
- Measuring electrical conductivity of photoinduced amorphous diamond structures.
- Fabricating periodic cylinder arrays on diamond surfaces using laser processing.
- Characterizing terahertz transmission properties of the fabricated structures.
Main Results:
- Achieved localized sp(3) to sp(2) phase transition in diamond, creating conductive amorphous structures up to 64 S/m.
- Demonstrated that laser fluence and scanning speed influence electrical conductivity via recrystallization and multi-filamentation.
- Observed characteristic terahertz transmission properties in laser-processed diamond with periodic cylinder arrays.
- Validated experimental results with theoretical calculations for the photonic crystal behavior.
Conclusions:
- Ultrashort laser pulses enable controlled phase transformation and conductivity tuning in diamond.
- Laser-fabricated periodic structures in diamond function as effective metallo-dielectric photonic crystals.
- The study opens avenues for novel optical and electronic applications of modified diamond.
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