Advances in Laser Ablation of Metals
A special issue of Metals (ISSN 2075-4701).
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 January 2026 | Viewed by 11
Special Issue Editor
Interests: atomic and molecular optical spectroscopy; laser materials microprocessing; laser ablation; laser-induced plasma plume; nanocomposites; nanomagnetism; semiconductor optoelectronics; thin films technology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Laser ablation of metals is a process that utilizes intense laser radiation to remove material from a metal. The incident laser beam on the material is directly absorbed by the free electrons of the metal within a distance from the surface determined by the optical penetration depth of the radiation in the material at low fluences or electron thermal diffusion length at high fluences. This is contrary to the case of semiconductors or dielectrics where electrons must first be excited from the valence to the conduction band through the band gap of the material via multiphoton or avalanche ionization depending on the laser pulse width, before they become free electrons and gain additional energy from the laser pulse. The electrons transfer their energy to the lattice via electron–phonon coupling, lattice disintegration occurs, and a plasma plume is formed consisting of material species. Laser ablation of a metal can occur, in general, via sublimation, melting followed by vaporization, or occasionally by direct ejection of melted material. Control of the process is achieved by choosing appropriately the laser parameters such as wavelength, fluence or intensity, pulse width or pulse repetition rate (in the case of pulsed lasers), or environmental parameters where ablation occurs.
This technique has certain advantages compared to traditional material processing techniques including a non-contact process, precise and fast material removal, scalability, and adaptability. It is used in various applications such as surface texturing, coating removal, microstructure fabrication, and synthesis of nanoparticle colloidal solutions. Furthermore, the laser-induced plasma can be used for material analysis, elucidation of material ablation, or nanoparticle formation mechanisms.
Metals invites papers for a Special Issue entitled "Advances in Laser Ablation of Metals". Experimental and theoretical articles will be accepted. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Laser surface texturing;
- Laser engraving;
- Laser metal surface microfabrication;
- Laser drilling and cutting;
- Laser micromachining;
- Laser ablation of thin metallic films;
- Laser metallic coating removal;
- Laser ablation nanoparticles;
- Laser material analysis;
- Laser ablation of metal alloys;
- Laser ablation of metallic molecular compounds.
Dr. Nikolaos G. Semaltianos
Guest Editor
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Metals is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- laser ablation
- laser materials processing
- laser micro/nanofabrication
- laser-induced plasma
- laser-based material analysis
Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue
- Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
- Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
- Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
- External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
- Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.
Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.
