Self Repeating Surface Morphology on Ultrashort Laser Pulse-Treated Vanadium Surface

In this study the nanostructure formation on vanadium surfaces due to laser irradiation in air, water, and ethanol ambients is investigated. Two laser systems have been used for the nanostructure creation with rather different pulse lengths (Ti:sapphire laser: 22 fs and XeCl-dye laser: 0.6 ps). Depending on the different ambient and different pulse durations the morphology of vanadium surface showed significant differences. In case of the fs laser pulses periodic ripple-like structures developed whose periodicity strongly depended on the applied ambient. In case of sub-ps pulses columnlike structures were observed. The nanostructure formation is discussed in terms of energy coupling between the electron phonon subsystems of the material and the properties of ambient.