Triboelectric‘electrostatic tweezers'for manipulating droplets on lubricated slippery surfaces prepared by femtosecond laser processing

The use of‘Electrostatic tweezers'is a promising tool for droplet manipulation,but it faces many limitations in manipulating droplets on superhydrophobic surfaces.Here,we achieve noncontact and multifunctional droplet manipulation on Nepenthes-inspired lubricated slippery surfaces via triboelectric electrostatic tweezers(TETs).The TET manipulation of droplets on a slippery surface has many advantages over electrostatic droplet manipulation on a superhydrophobic surface.The electrostatic field induces the redistribution of the charges inside the neutral droplet,which causes the triboelectric charged rod to drive the droplet to move forward under the electrostatic force.Positively or negatively charged droplets can also be driven by TET based on electrostatic attraction and repulsion.TET enables us to manipulate droplets under diverse conditions,including anti-gravity climb,suspended droplets,corrosive liquids,low-surface-tension liquids(e.g.ethanol with a surface tension of 22.3 mN·m^(-1)),different droplet volumes(from 100 nl to 0.5 ml),passing through narrow slits,sliding over damaged areas,on various solid substrates,and even droplets in an enclosed system.Various droplet-related applications,such as motion guidance,motion switching,droplet-based microreactions,surface cleaning,surface defogging,liquid sorting,and cell labeling,can be easily achieved with TETs.

Femtosecond laser fabrication of 3D vertically aligned micro-pore network on thick-film Li_(4)Ti_(5)O_(12)electrode for high-performance lithium storage

The development of energy storage devices with high energy density relies heavily on thick film electrodes,but it is challenging due to the limited ion transport kinetics inherent in thick electrodes.Here,we report on the preparation of a directional vertical array of micro-porous transport networks on LTO electrodes using a femtosecond laser processing strategy,enabling directional ion rapid transport and achieving good electrochemical performance in thick film electrodes.Various three-dimensional(3D)vertically aligned micro-pore networks are innovatively designed,and the structure,kinetics characteristics,and electrochemical performance of the prepared ion transport channels are analyzed and discussed by multiple characterization and testing methods.Furthermore,the rational mechanisms of electrode performance improvement are studied experimentally and simulated from two aspects of structural mechanics and transmission kinetics.The ion diffusion coefficient,rate performance at 60 C,and electrode interface area of the laser-optimized 60-15%micro-porous transport network electrodes increase by 25.2 times,2.2 times,and 2.15 times,respectively than those of untreated electrodes.Therefore,the preparation of 3D micro-porous transport networks by femtosecond laser on ultra-thick electrodes is a feasible way to develop high-energy batteries.In addition,the unique micro-porous transport network structure can be widely extended to design and explore other high-performance energy materials.

Effect of sample temperature on femtosecond laser ablation of copper

We conduct an experimental study supported by theoretical analysis of single laser ablating copper to investigate the interactions between laser and material at different sample temperatures,and predict the changes of ablation morphology and lattice temperature.For investigating the effect of sample temperature on femtosecond laser processing,we conduct experiments on and simulate the thermal behavior of femtosecond laser irradiating copper by using a two-temperature model.The simulation results show that both electron peak temperature and the relaxation time needed to reach equilibrium increase as initial sample temperature rises.When the sample temperature rises from 300 K to 600 K,the maximum lattice temperature of the copper surface increases by about 6500 K under femtosecond laser irradiation,and the ablation depth increases by 20%.The simulated ablation depths follow the same general trend as the experimental values.This work provides some theoretical basis and technical support for developing femtosecond laser processing in the field of metal materials.

High-performance liquid metal electromagnetic actuator fabricated by femtosecond laser

Small-scale electromagnetic soft actuators are characterized by a fast response and simplecontrol,holding prospects in the field of soft and miniaturized robotics.The use of liquid metal(LM)to replace a rigid conductor inside soft actuators can reduce the rigidity and enhance the actuation performance and robustness.Despite research efforts,challenges persist in the flexible fabrication of LM soft actuators and in the improvement of actuation performance.To address these challenges,we developed a fast and robust electromagnetic soft microplate actuator based on a laser-induced selective adhesion transfer method.Equipped with unprecedentedly thin LM circuit and customized low Young’s modulus silicone rubber(1.03 kPa),our actuator exhibits an excellent deformation angle(265.25?)and actuation bending angular velocity(284.66 rad·s^(-1)).Furthermore,multiple actuators have been combined to build an artificial gripper with a wide range of functionalities.Our actuator presents new possibilities for designing small-scaleartificial machines and supports advancements in ultrafast soft and miniaturized robotics.

Evaluation of the Clinical Efficacy of Full Femtosecond Laser Surgery in the Treatment of Myopia

Objective:To evaluate the clinical effect of full femtosecond laser surgery in the treatment of myopia patients.Methods:120 myopia patients admitted to our hospital from January 2022 to June 2023 were selected.According to the random number table method,60 patients in the observation group underwent full femtosecond laser surgery,and 60 patients in the control group underwent femtosecond laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis(FS-LASIK)surgery.The clinical effects of the two groups were compared.Results:10 days postoperatively and 6 months after operation,the visual acuity level of the observation group was higher than that of the control group,the postoperative corneal asphericity coefficient and corneal full-thickness were lower than those of the control group,and the total effective rate 6 months after operation was higher than that of the control group(P<0.05).Conclusion:Full femtosecond laser surgical treatment can improve the postoperative visual acuity of patients with myopia,enhance the corneal asphericity coefficient(Q)and corneal full-thickness,and exert significant clinical effects.

Microsphere femtosecond laser sub-50 nm structuring in far field via non-linear absorption

Creation of arbitrary features with high resolution is critically important in the fabrication of nano-optoelectronic devices.Here,sub-50 nm surface structuring is achieved directly on Sb2S3 thin films via microsphere femtosecond laser irradi-ation in far field.By varying laser fluence and scanning speed,nano-feature sizes can be flexibly tuned.Such small patterns are attributed to the co-effect of microsphere focusing,two-photons absorption,top threshold effect,and high-repetition-rate femtosecond laser-induced incubation effect.The minimum feature size can be reduced down to~30 nm(λ/26)by manipulating film thickness.The fitting analysis between the ablation width and depth predicts that the feature size can be down to~15 nm at the film thickness of~10 nm.A nano-grating is fabricated,which demonstrates desirable beam diffraction performance.This nano-scale resolution would be highly attractive for next-generation laser nano-lithography in far field and in ambient air.

Crack-free high-aspect ratio holes in glasses by top–down percussion drilling with infrared femtosecond laser GHz-bursts

We report novel results on top-down percussion drilling in different glasses with femtosecond laser GHz-bursts.Thanks to this particular regime of light–matter interaction,combining non-linear absorption and thermal cumulative effects,we obtained crack-free holes of aspect ratios exceeding 30 in sodalime and 70 in fused silica.The results are discussed in terms of inner wall morphology,aspect ratio and drilling speed.

Symmetrical femtosecond laser arc incision in correcting corneal astigmatism in cataract patients

AIM:To evaluate the effect of symmetrical arc incision correcting corneal astigmatism in femtosecond laserassisted phacoemulsification(FLACS).METHODS:This study enrolled patients with cataract combined with regular corneal astigmatism of>0.75 D,who underwent FLACS.Symmetrical arc incision was set at 8 mm diameter and 85%depth.The follow-up time was 3-24mo(4.92±3.49mo).Pentacam recorded the corneal astigmatism and higher-order aberration at pre-operation and post-operation.The changes in corneal astigmatism were analyzed by Alpins method.The correlation of astigmatism type,age,corneal horizontal diameter,corneal thickness,arc incision length,and correction index(CI)was analyzed,and the residual corneal astigmatism was compared with the residual whole eye astigmatism.RESULTS:Totally 79 patients(102 eyes)were enrolled,10 patients had corneal epithelial injury,1 patient occurred corneal epithelial hyperplasia.The corneal astigmatism was 1.23±0.38 D pre-operation,and decreased to 0.76±0.39 D post-operation(t=10.146,P=0.000).Corneal high-order aberration was 0.17±0.08μm pre-operation and 0.24±0.11μm post-operation(t=-5.186,P=0.000).The residual corneal astigmatism and residual whole eye astigmatism were no significant difference(t=-0.347,P=0.729).Using Alpin’s method,the following were determined:target-induced astigmatism(TIA)=1.23±0.38 D,surgeryinduced astigmatism(SIA)=0.77±0.45 D,difference vector(DV)=0.77±0.39 D,and CI=0.54±0.28.Age,astigmatism size,corneal horizontal diameter,corneal thickness,and arc incision length were not correlated with CI.The CI for against the rule astigmatism(ATR)was better than that for with the rule astigmatism(WTR;P=0.001).CONCLUSION:Femtosecond laser-assisted astigmatic keratotomy has better CI of ATR,but increase higher-order corneal aberration.CI is not ideal,it’s not a perfect choice if we pursue ideal correction effect.

Femtosecond laser direct writing of functional stimulus-responsive structures and applications

Diverse natural organisms possess stimulus-responsive structures to adapt to the surrounding environment.Inspired by nature,researchers have developed various smart stimulus-responsive structures with adjustable properties and functions to address the demands of ever-changing application environments that are becoming more intricate.Among many fabrication methods for stimulus-responsive structures,femtosecond laser direct writing(FsLDW)has received increasing attention because of its high precision,simplicity,true three-dimensional machining ability,and wide applicability to almost all materials.This paper systematically outlines state-of-the-art research on stimulus-responsive structures prepared by FsLDW.Based on the introduction of femtosecond laser-matter interaction and mainstream FsLDW-based manufacturing strategies,different stimulating factors that can trigger structural responses of prepared intelligent structures,such as magnetic field,light,temperature,pH,and humidity,are emphatically summarized.Various applications of functional structures with stimuli-responsive dynamic behaviors fabricated by FsLDW,as well as the present obstacles and forthcoming development opportunities,are discussed.

Periodic transparent nanowires in ITO film fabricated via femtosecond laser direct writing

This paper reports the fabrication of regular large-area laser-induced periodic surface structures(LIPSSs)in indium tin oxide(ITO)films via femtosecond laser direct writing focused by a cylindrical lens.The regular LIPSSs exhibited good properties as nanowires,with a resistivity almost equal to that of the initial ITO film.By changing the laser fluence,the nanowire resistances could be tuned from 15 to 73 kΩ/mm with a consistency of±10%.Furthermore,the average transmittance of the ITO films with regular LIPSSs in the range of 1200-2000 nm was improved from 21%to 60%.The regular LIPSS is promising for transparent electrodes of nano-optoelectronic devices-particularly in the near-infrared band.

Hot electron electrochemistry at silver activated by femtosecond laser pulses

A silver microelectrode with a diameter of 30μm in an aqueous K_(2)SO_(4) electrolyte was irradiated with 55 fs and 213 fs laser pulses.This caused the emission of electrons which transiently charged the electrochemical double layer.The two applied pulse durations were significantly shorter than the electron-phonon relaxation time.The laser pulse durations had negligible impact on the emitted charge,which is incompatible with multiphoton emission.On the other hand,the ob-served dependence of emitted charge on laser fluence and electrode potential supports the thermionic emission mechanism.

Numerical Simulation for the Efficiency of the Produced Terahertz Radiation by Two Femtosecond Laser Pulses: Above-Threshold-Ionization

The tunneling ionization (TI) is the most dominated ionization process in the production of terahertz radiation by two femtosecond lasers, although its validity above the ionization threshold of some gases is uncertain. In the present research, we employ a 1D fluid code to simulate the efficiency of the produced terahertz radiation by two femtosecond laser beams in air plasma. Two ionization models in the context of the TI process which are the Ammosov-Delone-Krainov (ADK) for noble gases and its developed molecular ADK (MO-ADK) model for molecular gases are intrinsically used to conduct this study. The main target of the present research is to examine the validity of these models Above-Threshold-Ionization (ATI) of these gases. For this purpose, we simulated the ionization rate and the power spectrum of the produced radiation, in addition we numerically evaluated the efficiency of the produced radiation as function of the input beams intensity at particular energy fraction factor, relative phase and initial pulse duration of these beams. These calculations conducted for a selected noble gas at varying energy levels and a chosen molecular air plasma gas at different quantum numbers. Numerical results near and above the ionization threshold of the selected gases have clarified that the ADK and MO-ADK model are successful valid to study the efficiency of the produced THz radiation at low energy levels and small quantum numbers of the selected gases, meanwhile, with any further increase in the energy level and the quantum number values of these gases, both of the ADK and MO-ADK are failed to correctly analyze the efficiency process and estimate its fundamental parameters.

Three-year results of small incision lenticule extraction and wavefront-guided femtosecond laser-assisted laser in situ keratomileusis for correction of high myopia and myopic astigmatism

AIM： To compare and calculate the 3-year refractive results, higher-order aberrations （HOAs）, contrast sensitivity （CS） and dry eye parameters after small incision lenticule extraction （SMILE） and wavefront-guided femtosecond laser-assisted laser in situ keratomileusis （FS-LASIK） for correction of high myopia and myopic astigmatism. METHODS： In this prospective, non-randomized comparative study, 78 eyes with spherical equivalent （SE） of -8.11±1.09 diopters （D） received a SMILE surgery, and 65 eyes with SE of -8.05±1.12 D received a wavefront-guided FS-LASIK surgery with the VisuMax femtosecond laser （Carl Zeiss Meditec, Jena, Germany） for flap cutting. Visual acuity, manifest refraction, CS, HOAs, ocular surface disease index （OSDI） and tear break-up time （TBUT） were evaluated during a 3-year follow-up. RESULTS： The difference of uncorrected distance visual acuity （UDVA） postoperatively was achieved at lmo and at 3mo, whereas the difference of the mean UDVA between two groups at 3y were not statistically significant （t=-1.59, P=-0.13）. The postoperative change of SE was 0.89 D in the FS-LASIK group （t=5.76, P=0.00）, and 0.14 D in the SMILE group （t=-0.54, P=0.59） from lmo to 3y after surgery. At 3-year postoperatively, both HOAs and spherical aberrations in the SMILE group were obviously less than those in the FS-LASIK group （P=0.00）, but the coma root mean square （RMS） was higher in the SMILE group （0.59±0.26） than in the FS-LASIK group （0.29±0.14, P=0.00）. The mesopic CS values between two groups were not statistically significant at 3y postoperatively. Compared with the FS-LASIK group, lower OSDI scores and longer TBUT values were found in the SMILE group at Imo and 3mo postoperatively. With regard to safety, no eye lost any line of CDVA in both groups at 3y after surgery. CONCLUSION： Both SMILE and wavefront-guided FS- LASIK procedures provide good visual outcomes. Both procedures are effective and safe, but SMILE surgery achieve more stable long-term refractive outcome and better control of early postoperative dry eye as compared to FS-LASIK.

Measurement of spatiotemporal characteristics of femtosecond laser pulses by a modified single-shot autocorrelation

To overcome the shortcomings of the single-shot autocorrelation SSA where only one pulse width is obtained when the SSA is applied to measure the pulse width of ultrashort laser pulses a modified SSA for measuring the spatiotemporal characteristics of ultrashort laser pulses at different spatial positions is proposed. The spatiotemporal characteristics of femtosecond laser pulses output from the Ti sapphire regenerative amplifier system are experimentally measured by the proposed method. It was found that the complex spatial characteristics are measured accurately.The pulse widths at different spatial positions are various which obey the Gaussian distribution.The pulse width at the same spatial position becomes narrow with the increase in input average power when femtosecond laser pulses pass through a carbon disulfide CS2 nonlinear medium.The experimental results verify that the proposed method is valid for measuring the spatiotemporal characteristics of ultrashort laser pulses at different spatial positions.

Fourier Spectrometer based on Wide-range and Phase-locked Michelson Interferometer with Femtosecond Laser Excitation

A wide-range and phase-locked Michelson interferometer technique is described. This technique combined with femtosecond laser is used to measure the spectrum of the rare-earth ion Nd：YVO4, which presents very high signal to noise ratio of interferometric intensity output and higher spectral resolution than traditional grating spectrophotometer.

Case report:simultaneous femtosecond laser astigmatic keratotomy and toric intraocular lens implantation in femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery in a patient with surgically induced high corneal astigmatism

Background:Femtosecond laser astigmatic keratotomy(FSAK)and toric intraocular lens(IOL)implantation have been studied individually for comparison to treat astigmatism at cataract surgery.We report a case of surgically induced high corneal astigmatism by laser thermal keratoplasty(LTK)in a patient with cataract who was successfully treated with simultaneous combination of FSAK and toric IOL implantation with femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery(FLACS).This is the first report of both procedures combined simultaneously,with or without history of LTK.Case Description:A 68-year-old male presented with a history of LTK with two enhancements each eye in 2004,with subsequent surgically induced high corneal astigmatism,and with age-related nuclear cataract of both eyes.IOL master demonstrated+7.71 diopters of astigmatism at 163 degree right eye and+3.29 diopters of astigmatism at 4 degree left eye.After extensive discussion of the risks and benefits,the patient agreed to undergo FLACS with FSAK with two 61 degrees of relaxation incisions(RIs)and toric IOL(Alcon SN6AT9)right eye;FLACS with toric IOL(Alcon SN6AT7)alone left eye.At 2-year follow-up,uncorrected visual acuity was 20/30 right eye,20/25 left eye.His best corrected visual acuity was 20/25(+0.25+1.00 axis 21)right eye and 20/20(plano+0.25 axis 90)left eye;his best corrected near visual acuity was J1+with add+2.50 diopters right eye and left eye.Conclusions:Patients with age-related cataract and LTK induced high corneal astigmatism can hardly be sufficiently treated with FSAK or toric IOL alone at the time of cataract surgery.An effective way is to combine large FSAK and toric IOL of the highest cylindrical power of T9,in our case,simultaneously,which can achieve an excellent long term visual outcome.

Comparing the intraoperative complication rate of femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery to traditional phacoemulsification

AIM: To compare the complication rate of femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery(FLACS) and traditional phacoemulsification for the first 18 mo of FLACS use at a private surgical center in Hawaii.METHODS: A retrospective chart review was conducted from January 2012 to June 2013. The first 273 consecutive eyes receiving FLACS and 553 eyes receiving traditional phacoemulsification were examined.All surgeries were performed at a single surgical center in Hawaii. The presence of intraoperative complications was used as the main outcome measure. Approval was obtained from the institutional review board of the University of Hawaii.RESULTS: The overall complication rate for FLACS was 1.8%, while that of the traditional procedure was5.8%(P 【0.05). A majority of the surgeons(80%) had a lower complication rate while using FLACS.CONCLUSION: FLACS is comparable in safety, if not safer, than traditional cataract surgery when performed by qualified cataract surgeons on carefully selected patients.

Clinical outcomes of small incision lenticule extraction versus femtosecond laser-assisted LASIK for myopia: a Meta-analysis

AIM：To evaluate the possible differences in visual quality between small incision lenticule extraction（SMILE）and femtosecond laser in situ keratomileusis（FS-LASIK）for myopia.METHODS：A Meta-analysis was performed.Patients were from previously reported comparative studies treated with SMILE versus FS-LASIK.The Pub Med,EMBASE,Cochrane,Web of Science and Chinese databases（i.e.WANFANG and CNKI）were searched in Nov.of 2016 using Rev Man 5.1 version software.The differences in visual acuity,aberration and biomechanical effects within six months postoperatively were showed.Twenty-seven studies including 4223 eyes were included.RESULTS：No significant differences were observed between SMILE and FS-LASIK in terms of the proportion of eyes that lost one or more lines of corrected distance visual acuity after surgery（P=0.14）,the proportion of eyes achieving an uncorrected distance visual acuity of 20/20or better（P=0.43）,the final refractive spherical equivalent（P=0.89）,the refractive spherical equivalent within±1.00diopter of the target values（P=0.80）,vertical coma（P=0.45）and horizontal coma（P=0.06）.Compared with the FSLASIK group,total higher-order aberration（P〈0.001）and spherical aberration（P〈0.001）were higher and the decrease in corneal hysteresis（P=0.0005）and corneal resistance factor（P=0.02）were lower in the SMILE group.CONCLUSION：SMILE and FS-LASIK are comparable in efficacy,safety and predictability for correcting myopia.However,the aberration in the SMILE group is superior to that in the FS-LASIK group,and the loss of biomechanical effects may occur less frequently after SMILE than after FS-LASIK.

Femtosecond laser micro/nano fabrication for bioinspired superhydrophobic or underwater superoleophobic surfaces

The preparation of superhydrophobic or underwater superoleophobic interface materials has become a research hotspot because of their wide application in self-cleaning, drag reduction, oil-water separation, anti-oil pollution and so on. The unique wettability of organisms gives inspiration to design and create new interface materials. This review focuses on the recent research progress of femtosecond laser micro/nano fabrication for bioinspired superhydrophobic or underwater superoleophobic surfaces. This review starts with a presentation of the related background including the advantages of femtosecond laser and wettability theoretical basis. Then, organisms with unique wettability in nature, the preparation of superhydrophobic or underwater superoleophobic surfaces by femtosecond lasers on different materials, and their related important applications are introduced. Finally, the current challenges and future prospects with regard to this field are provided.

Irregular LIPSS produced on metals by single linearly polarized femtosecond laser

Currently,supra-wavelength periodic surface structures(SWPSS)are only achievable on silica dielectrics and silicon by femtosecond(fs)laser ablation,while triangular and rhombic laser induced periodic surface structures(LIPSS)are achievable by circularly polarized or linear cross-polarized femtosecond laser.This is the first work to demonstrate the possibility of generating SWPSS on Sn and triangular and rhombic LIPSS on W,Mo,Ta,and Nb using a single linearly polarized femtosecond laser.We discovered,for the first time,SWPSS patches with each possessing its own orientation,which are completely independent of the light polarization direction,thus,breaking the traditional rules.Increasing the laser power enlarges SWPSS periods from 4–6μm to 15–25μm.We report a maximal period of 25μm,which is the largest period ever reported for SWPSS,~10 and~4 times the maximal periods(2.4μm/6.5μm)of SWPSS ever achieved by fs and ns laser ablation,respectively.The formation of triangular and rhombic LIPSS does not depend on the laser(power)or processing(scan interval and scan methodology)parameters but strongly depends on the material composition and is unachievable on other metals,such as Sn,Al,Ti,Zn,and Zr.This paper proposes and discusses possible mechanisms for molten droplet generation/spread/solidification,Marangoni convection flow for SWPSS formation,and linear-to-circular polarization transition for triangular and rhombic LIPSS formation.Reflectance and iridescence of as-prepared SWPSS and LIPSS are characterized.It was found that besides insufficient ablation on W,the iridescence density of Ta-,Mo-,Nb-LIPSS follows the sequence of melting temperatures:Ta>Mo>Nb,which indicates that the melting temperature of metals may affect the regularity of LIPSS.This work may inspire significant interest in further enriching the diversity of LIPSS and SWPSS.