Innovation and sustainability through material laser processing: Advancing knowledge and emerging applications

Laser sources are nowadays widely used in daily life. Over the years lasers have shown their potential as versatile, eco-friendly, and capable tools for processing all kinds of materials and compatible with machine learning approaches. The present symposium provides an interdisciplinary framework for sharing and discussing the most recent progress and prospects in laser processing, including surface functionalization, 3D direct writing, diagnostics, and synthesis of new materials, from basic principles to industrial applications.

Scope:

The laser processing symposium aims to address key topics for sustainable development by means of cutting-edge innovative strategies for material research from theoretical laser-matter interaction to feasible applications. This will cover laser- and plasma-based materials synthesis, surface structuring and functionalization, 3D writing and processing, additive manufacturing, high-performance device fabrication, advanced beam shaping methods, life sciences applications, and process analytics and materials diagnostics, with a special emphasis on working towards green developments and artificial intelligence implementations.

Recent developments in laser sources, currently reaching extremely high peak intensities covering temporal domains from continuous wave to GHz femtosecond bursts over the entire spectral range from deep UV to far infrared, result in numerous new routes. These include multiphoton materials processing, improved high-resolution micromachining, novel materials synthesis, volumetric material modifications inside functional materials, time-resolved diagnostics, high-rate and high-precision laser processing, laser printing and manufacturing, or nano and microscale material engineering.

This symposium will provide a platform to establish interdisciplinary international research collaborations between scientists promoting research in the field of materials research, photonics, physics, chemistry, biology and life-science. Presentations will include both invited talks by leading scientists in their respective fields together with oral and poster contributions. Special emphasis will be put on presentations by young scientists presenting top achievements.

Hot topics to be covered by the symposium:

• Advanced beam shaping and nonlinear techniques
• New strategies for green and sustainable laser processing
• Artificial intelligence and machine learning applications
• Ultra-short, high-rate, and ultra-high power laser interaction with matter: Fundamentals and applications in photonics, biology, and materials science
• Laser-matter interaction modelling for material transformation
• High-precision material characterization in laser processing and laser-matter interaction
• In situ probing and monitoring of laser processing
• Laser tailoring of materials: Thin films growth and particle production
• Ultrafast laser micro- and nano-structuring: From science to industry
• Laser-based fabrication of devices, sensors and photonic components
• Industrial laser machining applications
• In-volume processing of materials
• Surface functionalization through laser-texturing
• Biomimetic laser surface engineering
• Laser-processing for biomedical applications
• 3D laser printing and multiphoton lithography
• Laser-induced forward transfer and additive manufacturing

Tentative list of invited speakers:

To cover the different topics of the symposium, we have confirmation of the following invited speakers:

• Irina Alexandra Paun (INFLPR, Romania)
• Stefan Nolte (University of Jena, Germany)
• Jörn Bonse (BAM, Germany)
• Beat Neuenschwander (University of Bern, Switzerland)
• Mónica Morales-Masis (University of Twente, Netherlands)
• François Courvoisier (FEMTO-ST Institute, CNRS, France)
• Anton Rudenko (LabHB, CNRS, France)

Publication:

Special issue in Applied Physics A: Materials Science and Processing, Springer (APYA)