Nanoscale Structure Resulting from Ultrafast Laser Interaction with Matter

Dear Colleagues,

This special issue concentrates on the study of nanoscale structure resulting from or modified by ultrafast laser interaction with matter. Since the advent of ultrafast laser pulses, it has been clear that, the ability of an intense femtosecond laser pulse, to strip electrons directly from material, on a timescale shorter than that of vibrational motion or phonon propagation, would have a dramatic effect on matter in all phases. Although, there were indications from the earliest days of lasers, that light with typically hundreds of nanometers wavelength focused to micron sized spots, might lead to periodic structure, on nanometer scale, it would have been unthinkable that this could mature into the science of generating and controlling, highly diverse nano-scale, functionalised order, in solid, liquid or gaseous material.

Today, laser-induced periodic surface structure (LIPSS) with nanoscale or high spatial frequency LIPPS (HSFL) is an area of much interest having progressed from the discovery of the sub wavelength grooves, to the development of complex features, such as pillars, nanowires and pyramids, many with biomimetic properties, such as hydrophobicity or modified reflectivity. The phenomena and their applications result from the controllability of surface plasmon resonance at the nano-scale, with the emergence of surface enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS), a crucial example.

For transparent solid material, generation of nano-structures can take place in bulk and so they represent a path to applications such as control of polarization through tailoring of birefringence.

Liquid centred research has concentrated on the study of nanoparticle (NP) generation, using femtosecond and longer pulse ablation of solid targets, modification of NPs in colloidal solution, creating composite NPs and even direct synthesis of NPs from pure solvents.

One the exciting and diverse applications of the resulting nano-materials (NMs) is, as biologically active agents with, antibacterial action, or cancer targeting properties, achieved by conjugating NPs with biomolecules. A potentially crucial application, is to energy storage and catalysis, where the highly ligand free NPs produced in laser based synthesis are an advantage.

Assoc. Prof. Joseph Sanderson
Guest Editor

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