Abstract: Deposition of thin films or powders by reactive pulsed arc molecular beam deposition. To produce these films and powders, a reactive or non-reactive gas is pulsed between a pair of electrodes situated within a vacuum chamber. The gas can be either chemically inert, to produce pure cathode material films, or chemically reactive, to produce chemical compounds of the cathode material. A storage capacitor is discharged between the electrode pair during the gas pulse. The gas serves as a carrier to direct and transport the ablated material to a substrate which is placed inline with the gas pulse, on which a film or powder of the electrode material or a chemical compound of the electrode material is then coated.