Femtosecond Laser-Induced Periodic Surface Structures in Titanium-Doped Diamond-like Nanocomposite Films: Effects of the Beam Polarization Rotation

We study the properties of laser-induced periodic surface structures (LIPSS) formed on titanium-doped diamond-like nanocomposite (DLN) a-C:H:Si:O films during ablation processing with linearly-polarized beams of a visible femtosecond laser (wavelength 515 nm, pulse duration 320 fs, pulse repetition rates 100 kHz-2 MHz, scanning beam velocity 0.05–1 m/s). The studies are focused on (i) laser ablation characteristics of Ti-DLN films at different pulse frequencies and constant fluence close to the ablation threshold, (ii) effects of the polarization angle rotation on the properties of low spatial frequency LIPSS (LSFL), and (iii) nanofriction properties of the ‘rotating’ LIPSS using atomic force microscopy (AFM) in a lateral force mode. It is found that (i) all LSFL are oriented perpendicular to the beam polarization direction, so being rotated with the beam polarization, and (ii) LSFL periods are gradually changed from 360 ± 5 nm for ripples parallel to the beam scanning direction to 420 ± 10 nm for ripples formed perpendicular to the beam scanning. The obtained results are discussed in the frame of the surface plasmon polaritons model of the LIPSS formation. Also, the findings of the nanoscale friction behavior, dependent on the LIPSS orientation relative to the AFM tip scanning direction, are presented and discussed.