Rapid fabrication of surface micro/nano structures with enhanced broadband absorption on Cu by picosecond laser

A surface micro/nano structuring technique was demonstrated by utilizing a picosecond laser beam to rapidly modify the optical property of copper surfaces with a scanning speed up to tens of millimeters per second. Three kinds of surface micro/nanostructures corresponding to three levels of reflectance were produced which are obviously different from those induced by a femtosecond or nanosecond laser. Specifically, a porous corallike structure results in over 97% absorptivity in the visible spectral region and over 90% absorptivity in average in the UV, visible, and NIR regions (250 - 2500 nm). Potential applications may include solar energy absorbers, thermal radiation sources, and radiative heat transfer devices.