Colorizing stainless steel surface by femtosecond laser induced micro/nano-structures

We demonstrate colorizing of stainless steel surfaces by femtosecond laser induced periodic microholes and micro/nano-gratings on sample surfaces. Suitable adjustment of laser induced features on stainless steel surfaces offer a variety of colors, including multi-color, gold, and black. We also report that multi-color metal surfaces exhibit diverse colors when they are exposed to the incident light of different incident and azimuthal angles. Finally, we briefly explain how the femtosecond laser induced micro/nano scale features introduce different colors on stainless steel surfaces. (C) 2011 Elsevier B. V. All rights reserved.