Take-down policy If you believe that this document breaches copyright please contact us providing details, and we will remove access to the work immediately and investigate your claim.Downloaded from the University of Groningen/UMCG research database (Pure): http://www.rug.nl/research/portal. For technical reasons the number of authors shown on this cover page is limited to 10 maximum. The finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method is used to study the inhomogeneous absorption of linearly polarized laser radiation below a rough surface. The results are first analyzed in the frequency domain and compared to the efficacy factor theory of Sipe and coworkers. Both approaches show that the absorbed energy shows a periodic nature, not only in the direction orthogonal to the laser polarization, but also in the direction parallel to it. It is shown that the periodicity is not always close to the laser wavelength for the perpendicular direction. In the parallel direction, the periodicity is about λ/Re(ñ), withñ being the complex refractive index of the medium. The space-domain FDTD results show a periodicity in the inhomogeneous energy absorption similar to the periodicity of the low-and high-spatial-frequency laser-induced periodic surface structures depending on the material's excitation.

Ablation of bulk polycrystalline zinc in air is performed with single and multiple picosecond laser pulses at a wavelength of 1030 nm. The relationships between the characteristics of the ablated craters and the processing parameters are analyzed. Morphological changes of the ablated craters are characterized by means of scanning electron microscopy and confocal laser scanning microscopy. Chemical compositions of both the treated and untreated surfaces are quantified with X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. A comparative analysis on the determination of the ablation threshold using three methods, based on ablated diameter, depth and volume is presented along with associated incubation coefficients. The single pulse ablation threshold value is found to equal 0.21 J/cm. Using the calculated incubation coefficients, it is found that both the fluence threshold and energy penetration depth show lesser degree of incubation for multiple laser pulses.

Hierarchical micro/-nanostructures were produced on polycarbonate polymer surfaces by employing a two-step UV-laser processing strategy based on the combination of Direct Laser Interference Patterning (DLIP) of gratings and pillars on the microscale (3 ns, 266 nm, 2 kHz) and subsequently superimposing Laser-induced Periodic Surface Structures (LIPSS; 7–10 ps, 350 nm, 100 kHz) which adds nanoscale surface features. Particular emphasis was laid on the influence of the direction of the laser beam polarization on the morphology of resulting hierarchical surfaces. Scanning electron and atomic force microscopy methods were used for the characterization of the hybrid surface structures. Finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) calculations of the laser intensity distribution on the DLIP structures allowed to address the specific polarization dependence of the LIPSS formation observed in the second processing step. Complementary chemical analyzes by micro-Raman spectroscopy and attenuated total reflection Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy provided in-depth information on the chemical and structural material modifications and material degradation imposed by the laser processing. It was found that when the linear laser polarization was set perpendicular to the DLIP ridges, LIPSS could be formed on top of various DLIP structures. FDTD calculations showed enhanced optical intensity at the topographic maxima, which can explain the dependency of the morphology of LIPSS on the polarization with respect to the orientation of the DLIP structures. It was also found that the degradation of the polymer was enhanced for increasing accumulated fluence levels.

In this paper, the influence of the bulk temperature (BT) of Polycarbonate (PC) on the occurrence and growth of Laser-induced Periodic Surface Structures (LIPSS) is studied. Ultrashort UV laser pulses with various laser peak fluence levels F 0 and various numbers of overscans ( N OS ) were applied on the surface of pre-heated Polycarbonate at different bulk temperatures. Increased BT leads to a stronger absorption of laser energy by the Polycarbonate. For N OS < 1000 High Spatial Frequency LIPSS (HSFL), Low Spatial Frequency LIPSS perpendicular (LSFL-I) and parallel (LSFL-II) to the laser polarization were only observed on the rim of the ablated tracks on the surface but not in the center of the tracks. For N OS ≥ 1000 , it was found that when pre-heating the polymer to a BT close its glass transition temperature ( T g ), the laser fluence to achieve similar LIPSS as when processed at room temperature decreases by a factor of two. LSFL types I and II were obtained on PC at a BT close to T g and their periods and amplitudes were similar to typical values found in the literature. To the best of the author’s knowledge, it is the first time both LSFL types developed simultaneously and consistently on the same sample under equal laser processing parameters. The evolution of LIPSS from HSFL, over LSFL-II to LSFL I, is described, depending on laser peak fluence levels, number of pulses processing the spot and bulk temperature.

Laser-induced periodic surface structures (LIPSS) are highly regular, but at the same time contain a certain level of disorder. The application of LIPSS is a promising method to functionalize biomaterials. However, the absorption of laser energy of most polymer biomaterials is insufficient for the direct application of LIPSS. Here, we report the application of LIPSS to relevant biomaterials using a two-step approach. First, LIPSS are fabricated on a stainless steel surface. Then, the structures are replicated onto biomaterials using the steel as a mold. Results show that LIPSS can be transferred successfully using this approach, and that human mesenchymal stromal cells respond to the transferred structures. With this approach, the range of biomaterials that can be supplied with LIPSS increases dramatically.