Kuramoto—Sivashinsky equation for modulation of surface relief of molten layer and formation of surface periodic microstructures under pulsed laser irradiation of solids

A closed nonlinear two dimensional equation of Kuramoto-Sivashinsky type for the thickness of the laser pulse induced viscous molten layer is derived in the long wavelength and weak nonlinearity approximation. Linear stability analysis shows that under the condition that the temperature gradient at the surface is directed from the surface to the bulk, the surface instability sets in that leads to formation of surface relief structures with wavelength proportional to the thickness of the liquid layer. Computer simulations predict the subsequent formation of lamellar and disordered, quasihexagonal structures of surface relief when the time of irradiation is increased. Obtained results are used for the interpretation of experimental data on formation of lamellar and quasihexagonal surface relief microstructures upon multiple nanosecond pulse laser irradiation of silicon in water confinement.     

Laser decoration of precious metals

A technique for the laser coloration of precious metals is described that is based on the oxidation of a titanium film deposited on the surface of a metal. When laser radiation acts on the film, it is heated and oxidizes. Depending on the radiation parameters, the resulting oxide films have different thicknesses and, due to light interference, they acquire different colors. The visible color of the surface depends on the angle of viewing after imaging. The aim of this work is to identify the color palette of a gold plate’s surface with a thin film of titanium deposited on it. The titanium film is oxidized via fiber laser irradiation with a wavelength of 1.064 μm. Samples of color palettes are examined spectrophotometrically, and the chemical and mechanical stability of the resulting oxide coatings are tested.     

Application of Surface Relief Hologram Using Azobenzene Containing Polymer Film

Surface relief holograms are fabricated by irradiation of laser interference patterns on an azobenzene polymer film. The hologram needs no post-treatment, and can be erased by heating the films to above its glass transition temperature. Rewritable Fresnel holograms are fabricated on azo-polymer film. Replication of the surface relief hologram is also demonstrated. An application for business cards is considered.     

Analysis of the laser patterning inside light guide panel

The objective of this research is to evaluate the feasibility of the internal patterning in the light guide panel (LGP) by applying laser engraving. LGP fabricated by the internal patterning is proposed as it offers better efficiency than is provided by bottom surface patterning. The patterns fabricated by laser engraving system could improve efficiency by approximately 40%, requiring less energy consumption in average brightness and uniformity than required by bottom surface patterned devices. Internal scatters were fabricated by Q-switched 2nd harmonic Nd:YAG laser engraving system. The performance of the fabricated LGPs was measured and its results analyzed. Modification of the shape of the LGP patterns from the simple geometry has been investigated to control the uniformity. The proposed internal scatter embedded LGP with laser engraving could provide an alternative method to conventional bottom surface scatters type with optimized patterns and geometry.     

CO2 laser gas assisted nitriding of Ti-6Al-4V alloy

Laser gas assisted nitriding of Ti-6Al-4V alloy is carried out and nitride compounds formed and their concentration in the surface vicinity are examined. SEM, XRD and XPS are accommodated to examine the nitride layer characteristics. Microhardness across the nitride layer is measured. Temperature field and nitrogen distribution due to laser irradiation pulse is predicted. It is found that the nitride layer appears like golden color; however, it becomes dark gold color once the laser power irradiation is increased. The δ-TiN and ?-TiN are dominant phases in the surface vicinity. The needle like dendrite structure replace with the feathery like structure in the surface region due to high nitrogen concentration. No porous or microcracks are observed in the nitrided layer, except at high power irradiation, in this case, elongated cracks are observed in the surface region where the nitrogen concentration is considerably high.     

Effect of fluence on the discoloration of marble cleaned with UV lasers

The effect of fluence level on the discoloration of marble surfaces after the removal of the encrustation by 355 nm laser pulses is comparatively studied. Considering the thermochemical reaction possibly occurring in the encrustation during laser irradiation, the mechanism responsible for the discoloration of the cleaned marble surface is analyzed. The reduction of iron oxides by graphite plays a key role in determining the final color of the cleaned marble surface. A two-dimensional laser ablative cleaning model including the reaction heat is applied to calculate the temperature distribution during laser heating. The kinetics of the thermochemical reaction is estimated based on the simulated temperature field. The occurrence of the thermochemical reaction is also verified indirectly with experiments. The marble surfaces before and after laser irradiation are characterized in terms of the chemical components through surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy. The surface color is measured with a chromameter using a 1976 CIE L^*a^*b^* color system. The proposed mechanism is also applied to numerically analyze the severe discoloration of marble cleaned with laser pulses at 1064 nm.     

Ultrafast changes in the optical properties of a titanium surface and femtosecond laser writing of one-dimensional quasi-periodic nanogratings of its relief

One-dimensional quasi-periodic nanogratings with spacings in the range from 160 to 600 nm are written on a dry or wet titanium surface exposed to linearly polarized femtosecond IR and UV laser pulses with different surface energy densities. The topological properties of the obtained surface nanostructures are studied by scanning electron microscopy. Despite the observation of many harmonics of the one-dimensional surface relief in its Fourier spectra, a weak decreasing dependence of the first-harmonic wavenumber (nanograting spacing) on the laser fluence is found. Studies of the instantaneous optical characteristics of the material during laser irradiation by measuring the reflection of laser pump pulses and their simulation based on the Drude model taking into account the dominant interband absorption allowed us to estimate the length of the excited surface electromagnetic (plasmon-polariton) wave for different excitation conditions. This wavelength is quantitatively consistent with the corresponding nanograting spacings of the first harmonic of the relief of the dry and wet titanium surfaces. It is shown that the dependence of the first-harmonic nanograting spacing on the laser fluence is determined by a change in the instantaneous optical characteristics of the material and the saturation of the interband absorption along with the increasing role of intraband transitions. Three new methods are proposed for writing separate subwave surface nanogratings or their sets by femtosecond laser pulses using the near-threshold nanostructuring, the forced adjustment of the optical characteristics of the material or selecting the spectral range of laser radiation, and also by selecting an adjacent dielectric.     

Self-organization of ordered nano- and microstructures on the semiconductor surface under the action of laser radiation

Experimental results on the formation of ordered nano- and microstructures on the surface of semi-conductors under the action of laser pulses with various durations and fluences are interpreted from the unified view point of the theory of the defect-deformation (DD) instability of surface relief. A universal linear dependence of the period of the structures on the thickness of the subsurface layer enriched with mobile point defects and formed due to the laser action and occurrence of two scales of modulation of the surface relief are established and described. The structure symmetry and its evolution with an increasing laser fluence and magnitude of external anisotropic stress are described. Similarities with the formation of nanostructures under ion-beam irradiation and electrochemical etching are revealed and discussed within the framework of the DD instability theory.     

高功率脉冲电子束辐照SiO$lt;sub$gt;2$lt;/sub$gt;的光学和激光损伤性能

研究了不同剂量的60 kW高功率脉冲电子束辐照对高纯熔石英玻璃的微观结构、光学性能和激光损伤特性的影响规律. 光学显微图像表明, 辐照后熔石英样品由于热效应导致表面破裂, 裂纹密度和尺寸随辐照剂量增加而增大, 采用原子力显微镜分析表面裂纹的微观形貌, 裂纹宽度约1 um, 同时样品表面分布着大量尺寸约0.1–1μm的碎片颗粒. 吸收光谱测试表明, 所有样品均在394 nm处出现微弱的吸收峰, 吸收强度随着电子束辐照剂量增大呈现先增加后减小的趋势. 荧光光谱测试发现辐照前后样品均有3个荧光带, 分别位于460, 494和520 nm, 荧光强度随辐照剂量的变化趋势与吸收光谱一致. 利用355 nm激光研究了不同剂量电子束辐照对熔石英激光损伤阈值的影响, 结果表明熔石英的损伤阈值随着辐照剂量的增加而降低. 在剂量较低时, 导致熔石英激光损伤阈值下降的原因主要是色心缺陷; 剂量较高时, 导致损伤阈值降低的原因主要是样品表面产生的大量微裂纹和碎片颗粒对激光的调制和吸收. 关键词： 熔石英 电子束辐照 色心 激光损伤阈值     

Rapid and flexible laser marking and engraving of tilted and curved surfaces

We present a novel method for rapid and flexible laser marking and engraving of tilted, curved and freeform work-piece surfaces. The method is based on integrating a three-dimensional (3D) laser measurement system into a 3D laser marking system. We use the same laser source and optics for measurement and processing with a minimum of additional hardware components. A low power CW laser regime is used to measure the 3D shape of a work-piece surface while a high-peak power-pulsed laser regime is used for processing. The acquired 3D surface data are used to determine the 3D trajectory of the processing beam focus. Neither the 3D shape of the work-piece nor its orientation needs to be known in advance as long as the processed surface lies within the working range of the 3D laser processing system. This eliminates the need for exact work-piece positioning before processing and substantially improves processing flexibility (allowing, e.g. variations in work-piece shape or/and orientation from mark to mark). This paper discusses key issues concerning an implementation of the method and presents typical examples of markings and engravings, which demonstrate the advantages of the method with respect to the existing industrial 2D and 3D laser marking and engraving methods. The method can also be applied to flexible laser structuring and microprocessing of curved surfaces.     

Study of the laser cleaning on plaster sculptures. The effect of laser irradiation on the surfaces

The focus of this paper is to study the effects caused by the laser irradiation on nineteenth and twentieth century plaster sculptures. Before applying the laser cleaning on the sculptures, it was tested on samples prepared in laboratory according to the results of the scientific investigation carried out on the selected works of art. The characterization of the surface finishing materials of the sculptures was performed by Fourier Transform Infrared spectrometry (FTIR), X-ray Fluorescence spectroscopy (XRF), UV fluorescence photography, and internal micro stratigraphic analysis. Regarding the finishing materials, shellac, zinc white, siccative oil and proteins were found on the surfaces. The results of the scientific investigation, together with the examination of the ancient technical manuals, were used to create the laboratory samples to carry out the irradiation tests with laser. The laser irradiation and cleaning tests were carried out with a Q-switched Nd:YAG system. The irradiated surfaces were analyzed before and after the laser tests with the aid of a video microscope and a reflectance spectrophotometer, in order to evaluate the color changes of the surfaces. The possible morphological modifications caused by laser irradiation were also investigated by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) together with ancillary Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS) elemental analysis. Concerning the laser cleaning test on the samples, in general little color changes were observed both with the 532 and 1064 nm wavelength. Total color changes, expressed as ΔE*, are always small apart from the samples made of shellac and zinc white in linseed oil, as finishing layer. As regards these samples the surface irradiated with the laser greyed lightly, corresponding to a decrease of L* parameter (lightness). SEM imaging of the treated and not-treated samples, both at low and high magnification, does not show evidence of significant morphological differences due to the laser beam irradiation. Starting from these results, some laser cleaning tests were carried out on the original sculptures, putting them in comparison with an aqueous cleaning method. It was found that the laser cleaning removes effectively the dirt layer preserving the original finishing on the sculpures’ surface, whereas the aqueous cleaning system removes also the finishing.     

Polarization-dependent laser-induced giant mass transport in glassy semiconductors

Direct experimental evidence of the validity of the two-phase model of chalcogenide glass has been obtained. It has been shown that the polarization-light irradiation of glassy semiconductor films induces giant mass transport in the direction perpendicular to the polarization of the incident light. It has been revealed that a surface relief appears in the irradiated films. The shape of the relief depends on the laser polarization state. A macroscopic model qualitatively describing the observed phenomenon is presented.     

Ultrashort-laser-pulse damage threshold of transparent materials and the role of incubation

We present investigations of the surface damage threshold for transparent materials, e.g. a-SiO₂, CaF₂ and LiF, after single- and multiple-laser-pulse irradiation at 800 nm in the picosecond and sub-picosecond duration range. Our study shows clearly that the surface damage threshold drops dramatically during multiple-laser-shot irradiation, due to material-dependent incubation effects. This has important consequences for applications such as laser machining and for the lifetime of optical components. Different processes that can reduce the surface damage threshold with increasing laser shots are evaluated, such as sub-surface damage and defect formation. The mechanism of laser-induced defect formation, e.g. color centers, is believed to be mainly responsible for the observed reduction in the threshold for surface damage with increasing laser-shot numbers.     

Silicon suboxide (SiOx): laser processing and applications

Two types of periodic surface structures including micro-ripples and nano-ripples were observed on magnesium after femtosecond laser irradiation, and the color effect was reported by scanning a single laser beam over a large area at near damage threshold fluence. Optical reflectance measurement revealed that the color effect was mainly attributed to the nano-ripples as diffraction gratings, and intensity of the color was affected by morphology of the micro-ripples. AFM and SEM images showed that orientation of the micro-ripples was parallel to laser polarization and the period of the micro-ripples increased with scanning numbers, while the orientation of the nano-ripples was perpendicular to laser polarization and the period of the nano-ripples kept constant as laser sub-wavelength with increasing scanning numbers. These results suggested that formation of the micro-ripples was due to the combined effect of initial surface roughness and near-field interference, while formation of the nano-ripples was caused by the near-field interference between incident light and surface plasmons being excited in the air and metal interface. The potential application of such an effect is further proposed.     

Defect-deformational Kuramoto-Sivashinsky equation and formation of surface nano- and microstructures under the laser and ion-beam irradiation

Systematic numerical investigation of recently derived isotropic 2D defect-deformational (DD) Kuramoto-Sivashinsky (KS) equation that desribes the surface relief of the stressed nanolayer with nonequilibrium mobile point defects is carried out. It is demonstrated that the DDKS equation describes the formation of the surface DD structures of three main types: lamellar-like structures, and disordered and hexagonally ordered ensembles of nanoparticles. The generalization of the DDKS equation to the anisotropic diffusion of surface defects is performed and the numerical solution to the derived anisotropic DDKS equation is obtained to describe the formation of 1D surface DD ripples. The calculated results are compared with the experimental data on the formation of surface nano- and microstructures on solid surface under the laser and ion-beam irradiation.     

Direct Fabrication Methods of Surface Relief Electro-Optic Gratings in Azo-Polymer Films

Two fabrication methods of surface relief electro-optic (EO) gratings in azo-polymer films are described: surface deformation by a continuous wave laser and laser ablation by a pulse laser. In the fabrication process, the periodic intensity modulation of laser beams is formed by an interference fringe or a phase mask. The surface relief EO grating is fabricated by poling the surface relief grating (SRG) after the SRG fabrication process. The linear dependence of an applied voltage in the modulation efficiency of the first-order diffraction beam is observed. The proposed methods are effective for highly-efficient surface relief EO grating fabrication.     

Defect-induced instability of the surface layer involving static coupled Lamb and Rayleigh waves as a universal mechanism of the formation of an ensemble of nanodot nucleation centers

It is demonstrated that a stressed flat surface nanolayer saturated with mobile point defects exhibits a threshold (with respect to the defect concentration or mechanical stress) transition to a periodic spatially bent state with a simultaneous formation of the spatially periodic defect pile-ups at the extrema of the spontaneously emerging surface relief. In this case, the layer deformation corresponds to the displacements in a static bending Lamb wave and the deformation of the underlying elastic continuum corresponds to the displacements in the static Rayleigh wave. For the first time, we demonstrate that the analysis simultaneously involving the nonlocal character of the defect interaction with the lattice atoms and both (normal and lateral) defect-induced forces that cause the bending of the surface layer yields two maxima on the curve of the instability growth rate versus the period of the generated relief. This corresponds to the experimentally observed two scales of the surface relief modulation upon the laser and ion irradiation of semiconductors. Based on the results obtained, we propose a cooperative defect-deformational (DD) mechanism for the formation of an ensemble of the nanoparticle nucleation centers above the critical levels of the stress or the defect concentration. An approach to the calculation of a bimodal distribution function of the nanoparticle nucleation centers with respect to their size is adequately developed to the DD mechanism of nucleation which represents the distribution function in terms of the growth rate. The calculated results are compared with the experimental data for the molecular beam epitaxy of the nanodot ensemble and the pulsed laser nanostructuring of a solid surface.     

基于等离子体紫外辐射的强激光自动寻焦系统

精准定位激光束焦点位置是提高激光雕刻、切割、焊接等加工精度的重要基础，而传统测量方法不适用于自动寻找强激光焦点。基于激光烧蚀金属后等离子发光含大量紫外谱线的原理，以日盲的氮化镓肖特基光电二极管为传感器，设计了以304不锈钢靶材为耗材的红外强激光束自动寻焦方法及其装置。该方法与共聚焦显微镜检测平均烧蚀坑深的方法相比，当以脉冲宽度100 ns、重复工作频率20 kHz、平均功率10 W的1064 nm光纤激光雕刻机为实验对象时，二者定焦位置相差24 μm。     

Formation and evolution of nanostructures on semiconductor surfaces in the process of laser-induced inelastic deformation

A hierarchy of formed Ge surface relief nanostructures, including a disordered nanocluster structure, a two-dimensional lattice, and a one-dimensional lattice, is observed as the laser irradiation dose is increased. It is described in the framework of the defect deformation mechanism.     

盘型激光焊金属蒸汽特征色调-色饱和度-亮度分析法研究

对于大功率盘型激光焊,金属焊件表面在激光束辐射下强烈汽化并形成等离子体状的金属蒸汽羽状物. 该金属蒸汽羽状物可逆向激光束传输,对激光有明显的屏蔽作用, 降低激光辐射至焊件的能量密度,影响焊接效率和质量. 因此研究金属蒸汽特征变化规律及其与焊接质量之间的关联 ,可实现由金属蒸汽特征实时监测激光焊接状态. 以10 kW大功率盘型连续激光焊接304不锈钢钢板为试验对象, 应用高速摄像机摄取金属蒸汽动态图像,将其转换至色调-色饱和度-亮度空间, 提取金属蒸汽面积、激光束受影响路径长度等相关特征量, 以焊缝熔宽的变化作为衡量焊接状态稳定性的参数. 通过金属蒸汽特征值的均值统计和方差分析,试验证明根据金属蒸汽面积和激光束受影响路径长度等金属蒸汽特征可有效地反映熔宽质量, 从而对焊接状况做出动态评估.