Optimization of processing parameters of ultrashort (100 fs–2 ps) pulsed laser shock peening of stainless steel

The authors optimized the processing parameters of laser shock peening (LSP) of stainless steel, taken as a representative metal, using a Ti:sapphire laser with pulse durations in the range of 100 fs–2 ps. It was found that direct exposure of the metal surface to these laser pulses invariably resulted in the formation of laser induced periodic surface structures (LIPSS) on the metal. If LSP was carried out under an aqueous confinement medium, the stainless steel surface was observed to get oxidized without the protective role of the sacrificial layer. Various sacrificial layers were optimized to prevent LIPSS and surface oxidation to achieve maximum peening efficiency. Attenuation of the laser energy due to filamentation and white light generation in the confinement medium of de-ionized water was studied. It was found that 100 fs laser pulses produced much earlier and longer filamentation than those with a pulse duration of 2 ps at the same pulse energy of about 1 mJ. The energy lost in the attenuation mechanisms of filamentation and white light generation was found to be about 60% at the laser pulse duration of 100 fs and only about 20% at 2 ps. These effects are explained in terms of self-focusing and self-phase modulation of the laser light. Keeping filamentation-free length of different confinement media, peening efficiency on stainless steel was investigated for 2 ps laser pulses at different laser fluences. It was found that the maximum achievable hardness of stainless steel increased proportionately with acoustic impedance of the used confinement medium.