Abstract: A method of reducing photoelectron yield (PEY) and/or secondary electron yield (SEY) of a surface of a target (10), comprises applying laser radiation to the surface of the target (10) to produce a periodic arrangement of structures on the surface, wherein the laser radiation comprises pulsed laser radiation comprising a series of laser pulses and the power density of the pulses is in a range 0.01 TW/cm2 to 3 TW/cm2, optionally 0.1 TW/cm2 to 3 TW/cm2.

Abstract: A method of reducing photoelectron yield (PEY) and/or secondary electron yield (SEY) of a ceramic surface comprises applying pulsed laser radiation comprising a series of laser pulses emitted by a laser (4) to the surface of a target (10) to produce a periodic arrangement of structures on the surface of the target (10).

Abstract: A method of blackening a surface, comprises applying laser radiation to the surface of a target (10) to produce a periodic arrangement of structures on the surface of the target (10), wherein the laser radiation comprises pulsed laser radiation comprising a series of laser pulses and the power density of the pulses is in a range 2 GW/cm2 to 50 GW/cm2 or 0.1 TW/cm2 to 3 TW/cm2, and/or a pulse duration between 200 femtoseconds to 1000 picoseconds.

Abstract: A method of reducing photoelectron yield (PEY) and/or secondary electron yield (SEY) of a ceramic surface comprises applying pulsed laser radiation comprising a series of laser pulses emitted by a laser (4) to the surface of a target (10) to produce a periodic arrangement of structures on the surface of the target (10).

Abstract: A method of blackening a surface, comprises applying laser radiation to the surface of a target (10) to produce a periodic arrangement of structures on the surface of the target (10), wherein the laser radiation comprises pulsed laser radiation comprising a series of laser pulses and the power density of the pulses is in a range 2 GW/cm2 to 50 GW/cm2 or 0.1 TW/cm2 to 3 TW/cm2, and/or a pulse duration between 200 femtoseconds to 1000 picoseconds.

Abstract: A method of reducing photoelectron yield (PEY) and/or secondary electron yield (SEY) of a surface of a target (10), comprises applying laser radiation to the surface of the target (10) to produce a periodic arrangement of structures on the surface, wherein the laser radiation comprises pulsed laser radiation comprising a series of laser pulses and the power density of the pulses is in a range 0.01 TW/cm2 to 3 TW/cm2, optionally 0.1 TW/cm2 to 3 TW/cm2.

Abstract: A method for welding together glass workpieces where one of the workpieces has metal nanoparticles positioned at or near the surface to be welded. The method comprises positioning the workpieces in operative contact at an interface where a weld is to be formed, applying a laser beam to be incident upon the interface wherein energy from the laser beam is absorbed by the nanoparticle bearing workpiece and the energy from the laser beam is transferred to the glass surrounding the metal nanoparticles to heat the glass and to weld the workpieces together.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for metalizing a substrate by heating and applying a voltage across an ion exchange substrate to embed metallic ions from a metallic layer within the ion exchange substrate by a process of ion exchange. The resultant as-diffused substrate has metallic ions are distributed substantially homogeneously across the substrate. This may be metalized by applying a pulsed laser beam to a surface of the as-diffused substrate at or near a concentration of metallic ions such that the energy of the laser causes the conversion of the metallic ions in the as-diffused substrate into metal atoms at or near the point at which the laser pulse is incident upon the as-diffused substrate thereby creating a metalized substrate with a surface pattern defined by the movement of the laser beam across the surface of the as-diffused substrate.

Abstract: An optical system (31) with an input optical source (33) for projecting an input beam along an optical axis and an optical element (37, 43) which creates a cone refracted beam (41) from the input beam (35) then reconstructs the input beam (49). The optical element may comprise a first cone refractive element (37) which creates a cone refracted beam and reconstructs the beam using a reconstructing optical element (43) to apply a phase shift to the cone refracted beam. The optical system may be used to form a laser or a gain medium for a laser.

Abstract: An optical system (31) with an input optical source (33) for projecting an input beam along an optical axis and an optical element (37, 43) which creates a cone refracted beam (41) from the input beam (35) then reconstructs the input beam (49). The optical element may comprise a first cone refractive element (37) which creates a cone refracted beam and reconstructs the beam using a reconstructing optical element (43) to apply a phase shift to the cone refracted beam. The optical system may be used to form a laser or a gain medium for a laser.