Advancement in Ultrafast Laser Fabrication and Nanoengineering of Materials

A Special Issue of Nanomaterials (ISSN 2079-4991) belonging to the section "Nanofabrication and Nanomanufacturing".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 December 2026 | Viewed by 1139

Editor


E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
FZU—Institute of Physics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, 182 00 Prague, Czech Republic
Interests: ultrafast laser–matter interaction; laser material processing; laser-induced periodic surface structuring (LIPSS); laser-induced forward transfer (LIFT); pulsed laser deposition (PLD); laser-induced material functionalization
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The advancement of ultrafast laser technologies has revolutionized our understanding of light–matter interactions and the resulting photon-induced processes in materials. The unique combination of high peak power and ultrashort temporal duration has transformed laser material processing. In turn, this has enabled high-precision micro- and nanofabrication and direct laser writing with exceptional spatial control. This non-contact technique allows precise surface functionalization—tailoring optical, mechanical, and chemical properties—and is increasingly being adopted for both scientific and industrial applications. In contrast to conventional approaches such as lithography or etching, ultrafast laser processing provides a single-step, scalable, and versatile platform suitable for metals, semiconductors, dielectrics, and composites, while eliminating the need for vacuum systems or post-processing steps.

This Special Issue aims to showcase the latest developments and applications in ultrafast laser–matter interaction and advanced material processing. To that end, we invite original research papers and comprehensive reviews that connect fundamental mechanisms with practical implementations. Topics of interest include ultrafast laser surface processing, laser-induced periodic surface structuring (LIPSS), laser-based surface functionalization, material property modification, direct laser writing, laser-induced forward transfer (LIFT), and pulsed laser deposition (PLD). Particular attention will be given to studies on light trapping, integrated photonic devices, novel structured surfaces, emerging laser–matter interaction phenomena, and modeling or simulations.

We look forward to receiving your valuable contributions to this Special Issue.

Dr. Jijil JJ Nivas
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 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

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-anonymized peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Nanomaterials is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly 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 2400 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-induced periodic surface structuring (LIPSS)
  • laser-induced direct writing
  • surface functionalization with laser
  • laser-induced forward transfer (LIFT)
  • pulsed laser deposition (PLD)

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.

Published Papers (1 paper)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

19 pages, 5925 KB  
Article
Femtosecond Laser-Engineered Sustainable Glass Surfaces with Tunable Wettability Properties for Photovoltaic System Applications
by Emil Filipov, Liliya Angelova, Aleksandra Zhelyazkova and Albena Daskalova
Nanomaterials 2026, 16(8), 475; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano16080475 - 17 Apr 2026
Viewed by 704
Abstract
This study investigates the femtosecond laser surface texturing approach to tune the wetting properties of glass substrates applied for photovoltaic panels. Two types of microstructured LIPSS-containing motifs—parallel channels and intersecting (crossing) patterns—were fabricated and evaluated through comprehensive durability tests, including thermal cycling, UV [...] Read more.
This study investigates the femtosecond laser surface texturing approach to tune the wetting properties of glass substrates applied for photovoltaic panels. Two types of microstructured LIPSS-containing motifs—parallel channels and intersecting (crossing) patterns—were fabricated and evaluated through comprehensive durability tests, including thermal cycling, UV exposure, chemical immersion, mechanical abrasion, and dust retention assessment. Wettability measurements showed that both textures exhibit stable hydrophilicity behavior, with the intersecting patterns exhibiting the fastest wetting dynamics; in many cases, complete surface wetting occurred within the first few minutes, preventing a measurable contact angle at later stages. The durability tests caused only minor smoothing of the textured features, and the overall micro- and nanostructures remained intact. Optical characterization revealed that the laser-induced textures maintained high transmittance with no significant degradation after environmental exposure. Overall, the results demonstrate that femtosecond laser texturing provides a robust, coating-free method for producing stable and tunable wetting behavior on glass, offering a promising pathway for the future creation of durable, highly hydrophilic self-cleaning surfaces in photovoltaic systems. Full article
Show Figures

Figure 1

Back to TopTop