Laser-Induced Periodic Surface Structures— A Scientific Evergreen

TLDR

Laser‑induced periodic surface structures (LIPSS) are a universal phenomenon that can be generated on almost any material with linearly polarized radiation, and ultrashort laser pulses enable a simple single‑step nanostructuring process to tailor optical, mechanical, and chemical surface properties. This review surveys the current state of research on LIPSS. The authors analyze LIPSS formation mechanisms through ultrafast time‑resolved scattering, diffraction, and polarization‑constrained double‑pulse experiments to determine whether the structures are seeded by ultrafast energy deposition during absorption or by self‑organization after irradiation. They identify key control parameters and discuss applications of LIPSS‑functionalized surfaces in optics, fluidics, medicine, and tribology.

Abstract

Laser-induced periodic surface structures (LIPSS, ripples) are a universal phenomenon and can be generated on almost any material upon irradiation with linearly polarized radiation. With the availability of ultrashort laser pulses, LIPSS have gained an increasing attraction during the past decade, since these structures can be generated in a simple single-step process, which allows a surface nanostructuring for tailoring optical, mechanical, and chemical surface properties. In this study, the current state in the field of LIPSS is reviewed. Their formation mechanisms are analyzed in ultrafast time-resolved scattering, diffraction, and polarization constrained double-pulse experiments. These experiments allow us to address the question whether the LIPSS are seeded via ultrafast energy deposition mechanisms acting during the absorption of optical radiation or via self-organization after the irradiation process. Relevant control parameters of LIPSS are identified, and technological applications featuring surface functionalization in the fields of optics, fluidics, medicine, and tribology are discussed.