A novel high-resolution nanowire fabrication method is developed by thin-film patterning using a spatially modulated femtosecond laser pulse. Deep subwavelength (≈1/13 of the laser wavelength) and high conductivity (≈1/4 of the bulk gold) nanowires are fabricated in the open air without using masks, which offers a single-step arbitrary direct patterning approach for electronics, plasmonics, and optoelectronics nanodevices.

Advanced Materials, 2015