Laser interference ablation by ultrashort UV laser pulses via diffractive beam management

The fabrication of periodic surface patterns on various materials by ultrashort ultraviolet (UV) laser pulses is reviewed. Laser interference ablation using two or more coherent beams leads to deterministic, strictly periodic patterns. The generation of the interfering beams is accomplished by diffractive optical elements like gratings, grating systems or computer-generated holograms. The recombination of the diffracted beams is performed by optical imaging or diffractive beam management. Ultrashort UV pulses are especially suited for generating micron- to submicron-sized deterministic periodic patterns on metals and semiconductors.