Ultrafast laser biomimetic fabrication and related applications (Invited Paper)

This presentation will focus on the application of advanced ultrafast photonic approaches for novel materials synthesis, as well as for the development of advanced photonic techniques to probe at the nanoscale, which are issues of great interest in current materials science and engineering research. In particular, Nature inspires us in tailoring unique surface properties based on synergetic effects of chemical composition and multiscale surface morphology. We show that highly controllable, biomimetic structures, exhibiting multifunctional water repellent, anti-reflection, friction reduction and photoresponsive properties can be directly written on metallic and dielectric surfaces upon processing with femtosecond laser beams of tailored shape and polarization.