Transforming graphite to nanoscale diamonds by a femtosecond laser pulse

Formation of cubic diamond from graphite following irradiation by a single, intense, ultra-short laser pulse has been observed. Highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) samples were irradiated by a 100 fs pulse with a center wavelength of 800 nm. Following laser exposure, the HOPG samples were studied using Raman spectroscopy of the sample surface. In the laser-irradiated areas, nanoscale cubic diamond crystals have been formed. The exposed areas were also studied using grazing incidence x-ray powder diffraction showing a restacking of planes from hexagonal graphite to rhombohedral graphite. (C) 2012 American Institute of Physics. [doi:10.1063/1.3678190]