Surface engineering with structured femtosecond laser vector fields

Abstract

Ultrashort pulse lasers are widely used for surface engineering to produce complex microscale features on many materials. Current processes are limited by the inherent characteristics of chosen laser beams and optics, which leads to reducing the accuracy and speed that can be achieved. Recent advances in spatially variant optics allow shaping the optical fields to optimize processes; however, this is not widely used in existing laser-based manufacturing processes. This paper presents surface engineering of 316 stainless steel with structured femtosecond vector fields benchmarked against uniform fields, using experimental conditions representative of typical industrial operations. Our results using radial and azimuthal fields clarify the modality for using these beams, paving the way for industrial uptake.

Keywords

• Laser micro machining
• Laser
• Optical
• Ablation threshold