Controllable subwavelength-ripple and -dot structures on YBa2Cu3O7 induced by ultrashort laser pulses

Abstract

The evolution of periodic ripples and dots on an YBa2Cu3O7 surface irradiated by single-beam and dual-beam femtosecond laser pulses is investigated. The density and size of the dots can be controlled by the number of pulses. The spatial period of these ripples does not show a close relation to the pulse number. However, the orientation and geometrical period of the ripples are strongly dependent on the polarization and incident angle of the laser pulses, respectively. The formation processes are also discussed based on the dependence.