In this study, laser sintering of TiO₂ nanoparticle films on plastic substrates was conducted in order to improve the incident photon-to-electron conversion efficiency (IPCE) of flexible dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs). Lasers with different wavelengths (355 nm and 1064 nm) were used to process the TiO₂ electrodes. With an optimized processing parameter combination, the 1064 nm laser can sinter 13 μm thick TiO₂ films uniformly, but the uniform sintering cannot be achieved by the 355nm ultraviolet (UV) laser, since the films possess a high absorption ratio at 355 nm. The experimental results demonstrate that the near-infrared laser sintering can enhance the electrical connection between TiO₂ nanoparticles without destroying the flexible plastic substrate, reduce the transmission impedance of electrons and increase the absorption rate of incident light. Furthermore, the charge collection efficiency, fill factor, and short-circuit current have all been improved to some extent, and the solar conversion efficiency increased from 4.6% to 5.7%, with an efficiency enhancement reaching 23.9%.

The laser shock processing implemented by a laser-induced high-pressure plasma which propagates into the sample as a shockwave is innovatively applied as a post-processing technique on HfO₂/SiO₂ multilayer coatings for the first time. The pure mechanical post-processing has provided evidence of a considerable promotion effect of the laser-induced damage threshold, which increased by a factor of about 4.6 with appropriate processing parameters. The promotion mechanism is confirmed to be the comprehensive modification of the intrinsic defects and the mechanical properties, which made the applicability of this novel post-processing technique on various types of coatings possible. Based on experiments, an interaction equation for the plasma pressure is established, which clarifies the existence of the critical pressure and provides a theoretical basis for selecting optimal processing parameters. In addition to the further clarification of the underlying damage mechanism, the laser shock post-processing provides a promising technique to realize the comprehensive and effective improvement of the laser-induced damage resistance of coatings.

The combination of deep wet etching and a magneto-rheological finishing (MRF) process is investigated to simultaneously improve laser damage resistance of a fused-silica surface at 355 nm. The subsequently deposited SiO2 coatings are researched to clarify the impact of substrate finishing technology on the coatings. It is revealed that a deep removal proceeding from the single side or double side had a significant impact on the laser-induced damage threshold (LIDT) of the fused silica, especially for the rear surface. After the deep etching, the MRF process that followed does not actually increase the LIDT, but it does ameliorate the surface qualities without additional LIDT degradation. The combination guarantee both the integrity of the surface’s finish and the laser damage resistance of the fused silica and subsequent SiO2 coatings.

Ultrafast laser-induced periodic surface subwavelength ripples, categorized based on the ripple period into near-subwavelength ripples (NSRs) and deep-subwavelength ripples (DSRs), are increasingly found in the variety of materials such as metals, semiconductors and dielectrics. The fabrication of hierarchical periodic NSRs and DSRs on the same laser-irradiated area is still a challenge since the connection between the two remains a puzzle. Here we present an experimental study of linearly polarized picosecond laser-induced hierarchical periodic NSRs and DSRs on stainless-steel surfaces. While experiencing peak power density higher than a threshold value of 91.9 GW/cm², in the laser-scanned area appear the hierarchical periodic NSRs and DSRs (in particular, the DSRs are vertically located in the valley of parallel NSRs). A large area of the uniformly hierarchical periodic NSRs and DSRs, with the spatial periods 356 ± 17 nm and 58 ± 15 nm, respectively, is fabricated by a set of optimized laser-scanning parameters. A qualitative explanation based on the surface plasmon polariton (SPP) modulated periodic coulomb explosion is proposed for unified interpretation of the formation mechanism of hierarchical periodic NSRs and DSRs, which includes lattice orientation of grains as a factor at low peak power density, so that the initial DSRs formed have a clear conformance with the metallic grains.