Data on laser induced preferential crystal (re)orientation by picosecond laser ablation of zinc in air

Laser ablation of zinc is performed with a 6.7 ps pulsed laser source to investigate the ablation mechanism and resulting morphology of the irradiated surface. The data shows the changes in crater morphology, as well as chemical composition, for different number of pulses and laser fluence levels. We observed Laser Induced Preferential Crystal Orientation (LIPCO), as a result of ultra-short pulsed laser processing of Zn at a wavelength of 515 nm. Crystallographic data for other laser wavelengths, namely 343 and 1030 nm, as well as for Zn coated steel are also provided in support of this observation. Data presented in this article are related to the research article “Investigation of the ultrashort pulsed laser processing of zinc at 515 nm: morphology, crystallography and ablation threshold” [1].