Ultrafast optical probing of laser-induced formation of periodic surface nanostructures

  • Laser-induced Periodic Surface Structures (LIPSS, ripples) are a universal phenomenon and can be generated in a contactless, single-step process on almost any type of solid upon irradiation with intense laser pulses. They represent a (quasi-)periodic modulation of the surface topography in the form of a linear grating and are typically formed in a “self-ordered” way in the focus of a coherent laser beam. Thus, they are often accompanying laser material processing applications. The structural sizes of LIPSS typically range from several micrometers down to less than 100 nanometers – far beyond the optical diffraction limit – while their orientations exhibit a clear correlation with the local polarization direction of the laser radiation. From a theoretical point of view, a controversial debate has emerged during the last decades, whether LIPSS originate from electromagnetic effects (seeded already during the laser irradiation) – or whether they emerge from matter-reorganization processesLaser-induced Periodic Surface Structures (LIPSS, ripples) are a universal phenomenon and can be generated in a contactless, single-step process on almost any type of solid upon irradiation with intense laser pulses. They represent a (quasi-)periodic modulation of the surface topography in the form of a linear grating and are typically formed in a “self-ordered” way in the focus of a coherent laser beam. Thus, they are often accompanying laser material processing applications. The structural sizes of LIPSS typically range from several micrometers down to less than 100 nanometers – far beyond the optical diffraction limit – while their orientations exhibit a clear correlation with the local polarization direction of the laser radiation. From a theoretical point of view, a controversial debate has emerged during the last decades, whether LIPSS originate from electromagnetic effects (seeded already during the laser irradiation) – or whether they emerge from matter-reorganization processes (distinctly after the laser irradiation). From a practical point of view, however, LIPSS represent a simple and robust way for the nanostructuring of solids that allows creating a wide range of different surface functionalities featuring applications in optics, tribology, medicine, energy technologies, etc. The presentation provides an overview of current theories on LIPSS and the quest to achieve ever smaller surface nanostructures. The historical development of the fundamental ideas behind LIPSS is presented, together with experimental approaches that make it possible to distinguish between the various LIPSS formation scenarios. Time-resolved experimental methods are required to investigate the dynamics of their formation. The presentation focuses on ultrafast time-resolved optical (pump-probe) techniques that can be used for localized point measurements or microscopic imaging, utilizing the reflection, diffraction, or coherent scattering of the probe radiation at the emerging LIPSS, while simultaneously capturing information about rapid melting, ablation, and solidification phenomena. However, given the sub-micrometric spatial periods of LIPSS, their analysis using optical radiation employed in far-field techniques remained a challenge. Therefore, short wavelengths of the probe beam in the UV range or even below are required to overcome the diffraction limit imposed in the optical spectral range. Fourth-generation light sources, namely short-wavelength (XUV or X-ray) short-pulse free-electron lasers (FELs), offer new and fascinating possibilities for resolving laser-induced structure formation on surfaces in the sub-micrometer to nanometer range and in time domains from picoseconds to several nanoseconds with a resolution in the sub-picosecond regime. On laser-irradiated semiconductor surfaces, this unique spatio-temporal resolution enables the detection of early signs of coherent/plasmonic electromagnetic scattering effects, followed by the excitation of hydrodynamic capillary waves – providing new insights into the above-mentioned debate. Recent experiments at the European XFEL used fs-time-resolved small-angle X-ray scattering (fs-SAXS) and even fs-time-resolved grazing incidence small-angle X-ray scattering (fs-GISAXS), combined with grazing-incidence diffraction (fs-GID), to reveal the dynamics of the formation of nanometric LIPSS on metals.zeige mehrzeige weniger

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Metadaten
Autor*innen:Jörn BonseORCiD
Dokumenttyp:Vortrag
Veröffentlichungsform:Präsentation
Sprache:Englisch
Jahr der Erstveröffentlichung:2025
Organisationseinheit der BAM:6 Materialchemie
6 Materialchemie / 6.2 Material- und Oberflächentechnologien
DDC-Klassifikation:Technik, Medizin, angewandte Wissenschaften / Ingenieurwissenschaften / Ingenieurwissenschaften und zugeordnete Tätigkeiten
Freie Schlagwörter:Free-electron laser; Laser-induced periodic surface structures (LIPSS); Pump-probe measurements; Small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS); Ultrashort laser pulses
Themenfelder/Aktivitätsfelder der BAM:Material
Material / Advanced Materials
Veranstaltung:CINSaT Herbstkolloquium 2025
Veranstaltungsort:Kassel, Germany
Beginndatum der Veranstaltung:05.11.2025
Verfügbarkeit des Dokuments:Datei im Netzwerk der BAM verfügbar ("Closed Access")
Datum der Freischaltung:11.11.2025
Referierte Publikation:Nein
Eingeladener Vortrag (wissenschaftliche Konferenzen):Ja
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