Laser–Material Interaction: Principles, Phenomena, and Applications

Dear Colleagues,

Laser–material interaction is a fascinating nexus wherein laser physics, optical physics, and materials science intersect. From the earliest work with pulsed ruby lasers, it has been shown that the unique interaction of laser light with a material can lead to permanent changes in the material properties not easily achievable through other means. The main factors that influence this process are the laser beam properties, the material characteristics, and the phenomena that occur during and after the interaction.

The laser beam properties include the wavelength, intensity, pulse duration, and beam shape. These affect how the laser energy is absorbed, reflected, or transmitted by the material. The material characteristics include the composition, structure, phase, temperature, and optical properties. These determine how the material responds to laser irradiation. The phenomena that occur during and after the interaction include heating, melting, evaporation, plasma formation, shock waves, phase transformations, and material transport.

Laser–material interaction has many applications in various fields, such as microfabrication, surface modification, materials processing, biomedical engineering, and sensing. By controlling the laser parameters and the material properties, one can achieve desired effects on the material surface or inside the material volume.

For example, laser microfabrication can create complex structures and patterns on a micro- and nanoscale by using lasers to ablate or sinter materials. Laser surface modification can alter the surface chemistry, morphology, and crystal structure of materials to improve their appearance, absorption, wear resistance, friction, adhesion, and wetting properties. Laser material processing can cut, weld, drill, or engrave materials with high precision and speed by using lasers to melt or vaporize materials. Laser biomedical engineering can use lasers to treat diseases or modify biological tissues by using lasers to coagulate blood vessels, remove tumors, stimulate cells, or deliver drugs. Finally, laser sensing allows the measuring of physical or chemical properties of materials or environments by using lasers to induce absorption, fluorescence, or Raman scattering.

Dr. Chaudry Sajed Saraj
Dr. Diego Pugliese
Guest Editors

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• laser-induced phenomena
• shock waves 
• phase transformations
• laser parameters
• laser surface modification
• laser microfabrication 
• laser applications
• laser-induced crystallization 
• crystal orientation 
• material properties
• surface patterning