Laser ablation for material transfer – LMTresponsible F. Garrelie

Laser ablation and generation of ejecta is the fundament of laser-initiated matter transfer between a source of material and a collector, as typically met in transfer and deposition applications. The main topic of the LMT project is related to pulse laser deposition techniques on various timescales for elaborating materials as films and coatings with complex architectures. The emphasis is put on forming DLC and doped DLC materials, smooth or nano-structured films for sensing applications, notably in thermo-calorimetric or chemical sensing applications, with a new development towards oxide narrow band-gap materials. The accent is set on laser ablation control for optimizing or, furthermore, tailoring the properties of the deposited materials, as these are defined by the chemical and energetic characteristics of the ejecta. A new initiative relates to using adaptive pulse shaping techniques for controlling excitation and the subsequent generation of ablation products in terms of excited atoms, ions, or clusters and nanoparticles. A particular interest, shared between the LMT and ULTRA projects is related to surface nanostructuring using laser-induced self-organization of excited matter on regular patterns (ripples).

Current highlights:

• Process optimization in pulsed laser deposition via optical and spectroscopic feedback.