Nano-structures have significant applications in many fields such as chip fabrications, nanorobotics, and solar cells. However, realizing nanoscale structures on hard and brittle materials is still challenging. In this paper, when processing the silica surface with a tightly focused Bessel beam, the smallest nanohole with ~20 nm diameter has been realized by precisely controlling the interior and superficial interaction of the silica material. An effective surface window assisted nano-drilling (SWAN) mechanism is proposed to explain the generation of such a deep subwavelength structure, which is supported by the simulation results of energy depositions.

We have theoretically investigated the spatial-temporal dynamics of extraordinary optical transmission (EOT) through a two-slit plasmonic antenna under femtosecond laser dual-beam irradiation. The dynamic interference of the crossed femtosecond laser dual-beam with the transiently excited surface plasmon polariton waves are proposed to characterize the particular spatial-temporal evolutions of EOT. It is revealed that the dynamic EOT can be flexibly switched with tunable symmetry through the respective slit of a two-slit plasmonic antenna by manipulating the phase correlation of the crossed femtosecond laser dual-beam. This is explained as tunable interference dynamics by phase control of surface plasmon polariton waves, allowing the dynamic modulation of EOT at optimized oblique incidences of dual-beams. Furthermore, we have obtained the unobserved traits of symmetry-broken transient spectra of EOT from the respective up- and down-slit of the antenna under crossed femtosecond laser dual-beam irradiation. This study can provide fundamental insights into the ultrafast dynamics of EOT in two-slit plasmonic antennas, which can be helpful to advance a wide range of applications, such as ultrafast plasmonic switch, ultrahigh resolution imaging, the transient amplification of non-linear effects, etc.

The preparation of the wavelength-scale micropores on metallic surfaces is limited by the high opacity of metal. At present, most micropores reported in the literature are more than 20 µm in diameter, which is not only large in size, but renders them inefficient for processing so that it is difficult to meet the needs of some special fields, such as aerospace, biotechnology, and so on. In this paper, the rapid laser fabrications of the wavelength-scale micropores on various metallic surfaces are achieved through femtosecond MHz burst Bessel beam ablation. Taking advantage of the long-depth focal field of the Bessel beam, high-density micropores with a diameter of 1.3 µm and a depth of 10.5 µm are prepared on metal by MHz burst accumulation; in addition, the rapid fabrication of 2000 micropores can be achieved in 1 s. The guidelines and experimental results illustrate that the formations of the wavelength-scale porous structures are the result of the co-action of the laser-induced periodic surface structure (LIPSS) effect and Bessel beam interference. Porous metal can be used to store lubricant and form a lubricating layer on the metallic surface, thus endowing the metal resistance to various liquids’ adhesion. The microporous formation process on metal provides a new physical insight for the rapid preparation of wavelength-scale metallic micropores, and promotes the application of porous metal in the fields of catalysis, gas adsorption, structural templates, and bio-transportation fields.

Ultrafast laser-induced micro–nano hierarchical structures show broad applicability in optoelectronics, functional surfaces, and biomedicine. However, precisely controlling their formation through light field manipulation remains a relatively unexplored area. This work demonstrates a rapid drilling strategy on silicon using an emission-programmed, high-repetition-rate femtosecond Bessel beam. This spatiotemporal modulation enables a unique manufacturing synergy that integrates subtractive drilling and thermo-fluidic redistribution by the central lobes with additive nanostructuring by the peripheral lobes, directly fabricating a micro–nano hierarchical structure comprising tapered micro-holes, elevated micropillars, and dense nanocoatings. Meanwhile, areal scanning enables programmable geometry control through line interval adjustment. This approach offers new insights into laser-matter interactions and facilitates applications in infrared photodetection or drag-reduction surfaces.