Experimental and Theoretical Investigation of Periodic Nanostructuring of Au with Ultrashort UV Laser Pulses near the Damage Threshold

Abstract

A laser is a very sharp tool, so to speak, for carving materials at the nanoscale, but the carving involves many poorly understood, nonequilibrium processes. The authors' investigation combines an advanced experimental technique, using a UV laser to realize much finer structures than possible for a visible beam, with an advanced atomistic-continuum computational method that allows direct comparison of simulations to empirical results. This provides both the tools and understanding needed to develop nanotechnology for diverse ends in e.g. metamaterials, optoelectronics, coatings, and manufacturing.