Optics and Lasers in Engineering Volume 96, September 2017, Pages 63-67
Vadim Veiko, Yulia Karlagina, Mikhail Moskvin, Vladimir Mikhailovskii, Galina Odintsova, Pavel Olshin, Dmitry Pankin, Valery Romanov, Roman Yatsuk
Metal surface coloration by oxide periodic structures formed with nanosecond laser pulses
Optics and Lasers in Engineering Volume 96, September 2017, Pages 63-67
DOI: 10.1016/j.optlaseng.2017.04.014
In this work, we studied a method of laser-induced coloration of metals, where small-scale spatially periodic structures play a key role in the process of color formation. The formation of such structures on a surface of AISI 304 stainless steel was demonstrated for the 1.06 μm fiber laser with nanosecond duration of pulses and random (elliptical) polarization. The color of the surface depends on the period, height and orientation of periodic surface structures. Adjustment of the polarization of the laser radiation or change of laser incidence angle can be used to control the orientation of the structures. The formation of markings that change their color under the different viewing angles becomes possible. The potential application of the method is metal product protection against falsification.
