We formed gold nanowires using electron-beam irradiation in an ultrahigh vacuum electron microscope. The dimensions of these nanowires were 0.8–3 nm in thickness and 5–10 nm in length. The nanowires showed lasting stability. We propose a structure model for a nanowire with a thickness of 2 nm. The model is represented by a hexagonal prism; the surface layer of the prism has a hexagonal-close-packed (hcp) lattice, and the core of the prism has a face-centered-cubic structure. The nanowire is considered to be stabilized by the hcp lattices of the surfaces.

• Received 10 March 1997

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.79.3455