Surface plasmon assisted laser ablation of stainless steel

Colloidal Au nanoparticles (NPs) were decorated on stainless steel for surface plasmon enhanced laser ablation. A comparative study of the laser ablation efficiency was carried out on stainless steel samples with and without the Au NPs decoration at a variable pulsed laser fluence and laser pulse number. Higher ablation efficiency was clearly demonstrated in the former as illustrated from the larger diameter, maximum depth and the cross-sectional area of the crater generated by the laser ablation under the same conditions. Additionally, both the maximum depth and efficiency enhancement were found to depend on the laser fluence and pulse number. The maximum enhanced ablation efficiency of 36% based on the cross-sectional area of the crater was obtained at 1 pulse number of laser fluence 1.53 J cm−2. The efficiency enhancement of laser ablation is attributed to the highly enhanced surface plasmon field at the interface between Au NPs and stainless steel.