Application of nondiffracting Bessel beams for shaping of surface metal microstructures

AbstractA novel method of laser-controlled shaping of metal microstructures based on the processes of metal atoms adsorption on the surface of crystalline substrate and simultaneous control of photostimulated desorption of atoms by spatially modulated nondiffracting laser beam illumination is presented. The experiments were performed for sodium atoms deposition to the sapphire substrate, which was illuminated by Bessel beam at 532 nm wavelength and 2 W/cm2 intensity. Experiments showed that the optical pattern was well reproduced in the sodium deposits thus creating the annularly microstructured metal film with few tens nanometre thickness.