Filtern
Erscheinungsjahr
Dokumenttyp
- Beitrag zu einem Tagungsband (21) (entfernen)
Referierte Publikation
- nein (21) (entfernen)
Schlagworte
Organisationseinheit der BAM
XUV- and X-ray free-electron-lasers (FEL) combine short wavelength, ultrashort pulse duration, spatial coherence and high intensity. This unique combination of properties opens up new possibilities to study the dynamics of non-reversible phenomena with ultrafast temporal and nano- to atomic-scale spatial resolution. In this contribution we wish to present results of time-resolved experiments performed at the XUV-FEL FLASH (HASYLAB/Hamburg) aimed to investigate the nano-scale structural dynamics of laser-irradiated materials. Thin films and fabricated nano-structures, deposited on Si3N4-membranes, have been excited with ultrashort optical laser pulses. The dynamics of the non-reversible structural evolution of the irradiated samples during laser-induced melting and ablation has been studied in an optical pump - XUV-probe configuration by means of single-shot coherent scattering techniques (i.e. diffraction imaging [1]). In a first set of experiments we investigated the formation of laser induced periodic surface structures (LIPSS) on the surface of thin Si-films (thickness 100 nm). In a simplified view LIPPS are generated as a result of interference between the incident laser pulse and surface scattered waves which leads to a periodically modulated energy deposition. Time-resolved scattering using femtosecond XUV-pulses (with a wavelength of 13.5 nm and 7 nm) allowed us to directly follow LIPSS evolution on an ultrafast time-scale and with better than 40 nm spatial resolution. The observed scattering patterns show almost quantitative agreement with theoretical predictions [2] and reveal that the LIPSS start to form already during the 12 ps pump pulse. In the second set of measurements we studied picosecond and femtosecond laser induced ablation and disintegration of fabricated nano-structures. Correlations of coherent diffraction patterns measured at various time delays to the pattern of the undisturbed object show that order in the structure is progressively lost starting from short length scales. This structural rearrangement progresses at close to the speed of sound in the material. Under certain circumstances (e.g. adequate sampling) it became also possible to reconstruct real-space images of the object as it evolves over time [3]. The possibility of femtosecond single-shot imaging of ultrafast dynamic processes with nanoscale resolution provides yet more details of the physical processes involved. [1] H. N. Chapman et al. Nature Phys. 2, 839 (2006). [2] J. F. Young et al., Phys. Rev. B 27, 1155 (1983). [3] A. Barty et al. Nature Phot. 2, 415 (2008).
The formation of laser-induced periodic surface structures (LIPSS) upon irradiation of semiconductors and dielectrics by linearly polarized high-intensity Ti:sapphire fs-laser pulses (τ ~100 fs, λ ~800 nm) is studied experimentally and theoretically. In the experiments, two different types of LIPSS exhibiting very different spatial periods are observed (socalled LSFL low spatial frequency LIPSS, and HSFL - high spatial frequency LIPSS), both having a different dependence on the incident laser fluence and pulse number per spot. The experimental results are analyzed by means of a new theoretical approach, which combines the generally accepted LIPSS theory of J. E. Sipe and co-workers [Phys. Rev. B 27, 1141-1154 (1983)] with a Drude model, in order to account for transient changes of the optical properties of the irradiated materials. The joint Sipe-Drude model is capable of explaining numerous aspects of fs-LIPSS formation, i.e., the orientation of the LIPSS, their fluence dependence as well as their spatial periods. The latter aspect is specifically demonstrated for silicon crystals, which show experimental LSFL periods Λ somewhat smaller than λ. This behaviour is caused by the excitation of surface plasmon polaritons, SPP, (once the initially semiconducting material turns to a metallic state upon formation of a dense free-electron-plasma in the material) and the subsequent interference between its electrical fields with that of the incident laser beam, resulting in a spatially modulated energy deposition at the surface.
Upon multi-pulse irradiation, a feedback mechanism, caused by the redshift of the resonance in a grating-assisted SPP excitation, is further reducing the LSFL spatial periods. The SPP-based mechanism of LSFL successfully explains the remarkably large range of LSFL periods between ~0.6 λ and λ.
Ultrashort pulses lasers are tools of choice for functionalizing the bulk of transparent materials. In particular, direct photoinscription of simple photonic functions have been demonstrated. Those elementary functions rely on the local refractive index change induced when focusing an ultrashort pulse in the volume of a transparent material. The range of possibilities offered by direct photoinscription is still under investigation. To help understanding, optimizing and assessing the full potential of this method, we developed a time-resolved phase contrast microscopy setup. The imaginary part (absorption) and the real part of the laser-induced complex refractive index can be visualized in the irradiated region. The setup is based on a commercially available phase contrast microscope extended into a pump-probe scheme. The originality of our approach is that the illumination is performed by using a pulsed laser source (i.e. a probe beam). Speckle-related issues are solved by employing adequate sets of diffusers. This laser-microscopy technique has a spatial resolution of 650 nm, and the impulse response is about 300 fs. The laser-induced refractive index changes can be tracked up to milliseconds after the energy deposition. The excitation beam (the pump) is focused with a microscope objective (numerical aperture of 0.45) into the bulk of an a-SiO2 sample. The pump beam can be temporally shaped with a SLM-based pulse shaping unit. This additional degree of flexibility allows for observing different interaction regimes. For instance, bulk material processing with femtosecond and picosecond duration pulses will be studied.
In this work, glasses with systematically varied compositions were manufactured and irradiated by single Ti:sapphire fs-laserpulses (800 nm, 120 fs), focused at the surface and into the bulk of the glass materials. The samples were tested for their ablation threshold fluence as well as for structural changes using µ-Raman-spectroscopy. Correlations between the glass composition, the material-ablation on the glass surface and the permanent changes of the refractive index inside the glass volume after the irradiation by fs-laser pulses were obtained. The results show, that the structural modifications found at the surface of the glasses and inside its volume are closely related. However, while the ablation threshold fluence of the glass surface primarily depends on the glass dissociation energy, the permanent refractive index change inside the volume is rather determined by its ability for absorbing the fs-laser pulses and the subsequent relaxation processes. The results of this work provide some guidance on how the glass composition can be varied in order to optimize the fs-laser induced modification of dielectrics.
In this contribution the mechanisms of formation and current applications of LIPSS are reviewed, including the colorization of technical surfaces, the control of surface wetting properties, the mimicry of the natural texture of animal integuments, the tailoring of surface colonization by bacterial biofilms, and the improvement of the tribological performance of nanostructured metal surfaces.
In recent years, the improved understanding of the formation of laser-induced periodic surface structures (LIPSS) has led to an emerging variety of applications that modify the optical, mechanical and chemical properties of many materials. Such structures strongly depend on the laser beam polarization and are formed usually after irradiation with ultrashort linearly polarized laser pulses. The most accepted explanation for the origin of the structures is based on the interference of the incident laser radiation with electromagnetic surface waves that propagate or scatter at the surface of the irradiated materials. This leads to an intensity modulation that is finally responsible for the selective ablation in the form of parallel structures with periods ranging from hundreds of nanometers up to some micrometers. The versatility when forming such structures is based on the high reproducibility with different wavelength, pulse duration and repetition rate laser sources, customized micro- and nanometric spatial resolutions, and the compatibility with industrially relevant processing speeds when combined with fast scanning devices. In this contribution, we review the latest applications in the rapidly emerging field of surface functionalization through LIPSS, including biomimetic functionalities on fluid transport, control of the wetting properties, specific optical responses in technical materials, improvement of tribological performance on metallic surfaces and bacterial and cell growth for medical devices, among many others.
Laser-induced periodic surface structures (LIPSS, ripples) are a universal phenomenon that can be observed on almost any material after the irradiation by linearly polarized laser beams, particularly when using ultrashort laser pulses with durations in the femtosecond to picosecond range. During the past years significantly increasing industrial and research activities have been reported in the field of LIPSS, since their generation in a single-step process provides a simple way of nanostructuring and surface functionalization towards the control of optical, mechanical or chemical surface properties. In this contribution the mechanisms of formation and current trends and applications of LIPSS are reviewed, including the colorization of technical surfaces, the control of surface wetting properties, the mimicry of the natural texture of animals, the tailoring of surface colonization by bacterial biofilms, the advancement of leadless medical pacemakers, and the improvement of the tribological performance of nanostructured metal surfaces.
A promising technology in photovoltaics is based on micro-concentrator solar cells, where the photovoltaic active area is realized as an array of sub-millimeter sized cells onto which the incident light is focused via microlenses. This approach allows to increase the cell efficiency and to realize much more compact modules compared to macroscopic concentrator devices. At the same time, expensive raw materials can be saved, which is of interest, for example, with respect to indium in the case of copper-indium-gallium-diselenide (CIGSe) thin film solar cells. Two methods to produce micro-sized precursors of CIGSe absorbers on molybdenum are presented using 30-fs laser pulses at 790 nm wavelength. On the one hand, a multi pulse surface structuring of the molybdenum film or the underlying glass substrate and a subsequent physical vapor deposition were used for a site-selective aggregation of indium droplets. On the other hand, a single pulse laser-induced forward transfer was utilized to selectively deposit combined copper-indium precursor pixels on the molybdenum back contact of the solar cell. Post-processing (selenization, isolation, contacting) of the laser-generated micro-sized precursors results in functional CIGSe solar cells.
Antibiotic resistance is a growing global problem which poses a massive threat to human health. Although human activity contributes to the acceleration of the process, bacteria have a self-driven stabilisation mechanism to protect themselves from such and other external threats: biofilm formation. Nonetheless, it is the adhesion of a single bacterial cell to a surface that triggers the formation of such network of biomolecules and microorganisms, as well as its hazardous consequences. The main objective of this work was to quantify the adhesion force of a single E. coli cell on a Ti substrate via the AFM-related single-cell force spectroscopy, with both the cell and the substrate material being of high clinical relevance. A set of 25 x 25 force displacement curves was acquired with a maximum force of 3.2 nN without dwell time, yielding a topography map and an adhesion force map that showed to be correlated. A mean adhesion force of 0.85 ± 0.175 nN was measured and the presence of cell appendages on the bacterial cell wall was verified through individual force-displacement curves. Bacterial viability was assessed after the measurements via live/dead staining.
The performance of titanium alloy (Ti6Al4V) surfaces was investigated in lubricated reciprocating sliding tribological tests (RSTT). Special emphasis was laid on the effect of surface nanostructures in area of contact on the respective friction and wear behaviour. These so-called laser-induced periodic surface structures (LIPSS, ripples) were produced on the titanium alloy surface upon scan processing in air by an ultrashort pulsed femtosecond (fs) laser. As lubricant served two types of base oils, a pure polyalcylene-glycol, and an SAE 0W30 oil containing only antioxidants and temperature stabilizers. Tribological tests were carried out on polished as well as LIPSS covered areas using both types of base oil. A test metrics was established, combining the additive 2-ethylhexyl-zincdithiophosphate (ZDDP) or the ionic liquid [P6,6,6,14] [DEHP] (98% purity) with the respective base oils. The test metrics also considered the orientation of motion with respect to the orientation of the structures formed on the surface. Results are presented which show that the interplay between LIPSS and the local chemistry formed by the respective additives is beneficial for the tribological behaviour of the titanium alloy. Certain combinations of base oil, additive and LIPSS reduced friction and wear significantly in the tribological contact.