  Structural and mechanical properties of amorphous and nanocomposite carbon
are investigated using tight-binding molecular dynamics and Monte Carlo
simulations. In the case of amorphous carbon, we show that the variation of
sp^3 fraction as a function of density is linear over the whole range of
possible densities, and that the bulk moduli follow closely the power-law
variation suggested by Thorpe. We also review earlier work pertained to the
intrinsic stress state of tetrahedral amorphous carbon. In the case of
nanocomposites, we show that the diamond inclusions are stable only in dense
amorphous tetrahedral matrices. Their hardness is considerably higher than that
of pure amorphous carbon films. Fully relaxed diamond nanocomposites possess
zero average intrinsic stress.
