Application of laser-induced nanostructured metal surfaces

Nature teaches that nanostructured surfaces show a variety of beneficial macroscopic effects. The laser texturing of metal surfaces allows the fast, defined, and adjustable large-area nano- and micro surface structuring using ultrashort laser pulses. Such hierarchical structures comprising of determined micro patterns and self-organized nanostructures allow the customization of metal surface properties for applications in accelerators, optics, and fluidics. Here, the laser exposure of superhydrophobic SSt can cause a localized modification of the surface tension which enables the guiding and pining of water droplets which was studied using high-speed optical imaging.
The laser-induced micro- and nano structuring and the chemical modification of the metal surfaces allows the fast and defined adjustment of the macroscopic properties of metals with manifold applications.