methods and apparatuses are disclosed which allow uniform coatings to be applied by pulsed laser deposition on inner and outer surfaces of cylindrical objects , such as rods , pipes , tubes , and wires . the use of pld makes this technique particularly suitable for complex multicomponent materials , such as superconducting ceramics . rigid objects of any length , i . e ., pipes up to a few meters , and with diameters from less than 1 centimeter to over 10 centimeters can be coated using this technique . further , deposition is effected simultaneously onto an annular region of the pipe wall . this particular arrangement simplifies the apparatus , reduces film uniformity control difficulties , and can result in faster operation cycles . in addition , flexible wires of any length can be continuously coated using the disclosed invention .