Enhanced dielectric and conductivity of carbon-coated SiC nanocomposites in the terahertz frequency range.

Carbon-coated SiC nanocomposites (SiC@C NCs) were one-step synthesized under a mixture atmosphere of Ar and CH4 using a DC arc-discharge plasma method. The microstructure of the composites can be controlled by varying the volume ratio of Ar and CH4. A strong response to terahertz (THz) field was observed due to the existence of a graphite shell. The dielectric properties of SiC@C NCs can be enhanced by altering the thickness of the graphite shell. The thicker graphite shell results in a stronger absorption of THz wave and an enhanced real part of conductivity. Fitting the measured conductivity data using the Drude-Smith model reveals that the carrier transport in the SiC@C NCs and its counterpart, the SiC nanoparticles (NPs), is dominated by backscattering. The SiC@C NCs with an enhanced conductivity are believed to be fundamental materials for various functionalized optoelectronics devices.