Laser - Surface Interactions

This book is about the interaction of laser radiation with various surfaces at variable parameters of radiation. As a basic principle of classification we chose the energetic or intensity level of interaction of laser radiation with the surfaces. These two characteristics of laser radiation are the most important parameters defining entire spectrum of the processes occurring on the surfaces during interaction with electromagnetic waves.

This is a first book containing a whole spectrum of the laser-surface interactions distinguished by the ranges of used laser intensity. It combines the surface response starting from extremely weak laser intensities (~1 W cm-2) up to the relativistic intensities (~1020 W cm-2 and higher). The book provides the basic information about lasers and acquaints the reader with both common applications of laser-surface interactions (laser-related printers, scanners, barcode readers, discs, material processing, military, holography, medicine, etc) and unusual uses of the processes on the surfaces under the action of lasers (art conservation, rangefinders and velocimeters, space and earth explorations, surface engineering and ablation, and others). The scientific applications of laser-surfaces interactions (surface optical nonlinearities, surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy, surface nanostructuring, nanoripples and clusters formation, X-ray lasers and harmonic generation from the surfaces) are discussed from the point of view of the close relations between the properties of surface and matter, which is a cornerstone of most of studies of materials.

The novelty of the approach developed in Laser - Surface Interactions is related with the interconnection of scientific studies with numerous applications of the laser-surface interactions separated in different chapters by the ranges of laser intensities. We present most recent achievements in this field. The book provides valuable information for different ranges of reader’s preparedness to the laser-related topics (from unprepared readers, to students, engineers and researchers, professionals and academics).

Professor Rashid Ganeev for a long time carrying out the systematic studies of the laser-surface interactions. The nonlinear optical parameters (nonlinear refractive indices, nonlinear susceptibilities, multi-photon and saturated absorption coefficients, etc) of various materials, x-ray lasers, nanoripples fabrication, laser rangefinders, laser welding, and hardening of metals, nonlinear optical methods of low-order harmonics generation in various media and other topics are among his scientific interests. He has established his methods to perform high-order harmonic generation in the laser ablation plumes from a solid target through the collaboration with a number of leading laboratories in Japan, Canada, India, Italy, Germany, United Kingdom, Spain, etc.

Rashid Ganeev has published several books related with the optical sciences. He is a first co-author of most of his 260 publications in peer-reviewed journals. In 2002, the International Commission for Optics awarded him the ICO Galileo Galilei Award for the contribution in the nonlinear optics. In 2011, he was awarded the Khwarizmi International Award. In 2008, The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS) elected him a Fellow of TWAS.