Optical control of gallium nanoparticle growth

Abstract

We report that low-intensity light can dramatically influence and regulate the nanoparticle self-assembly process: Illumination of a substrate exposed to a beam of gallium atoms results in the formation of gallium nanoparticles with a relatively narrow size distribution. Very low light intensities, below the threshold for thermally induced evaporation, exert considerable control over nanoparticle formation.