Phase Coexistence in Gallium Nanoparticles Controlled by Electron Excitation

Abstract

In gallium nanoparticles 100 nm in diameter grown on the tip of an optical fiber from an atomic beam we observed equilibrium coexistence of $\gamma$, $\beta$, and liquid structural phases that can be controlled by $e$-beam excitation in a highly reversible and reproducible fashion. With 2 keV electrons only 1 pJ of excitation energy per nanoparticle is needed to exercise control, with the equilibrium phase achieved in less than a few tenths of a microsecond. The transformations between coexisting phases are accompanied by a continuous change in the nanoparticle film’s reflectivity.