Hydrodynamic instability and self-organization of a submicron relief on metal surfaces upon femtosecond laser exposure in liquids

Abstract

Multishot exposure of nickel and iron surfaces by loosely focused femtosecond laser pulses in isopropyl alcohol resulted in quasi-regular arrays of submicron spikes and other intermediate self-organized structures. Such self-organized surface relief is considered to be formed via hydrodynamic instability of molten metallic surfaces in their contact with a near-critical alcohol vapor layer with the pressure of about 5 MPa.