Atomistic insights into ultrafast laser-induced local structural dynamics and wettability modulation in austenitic stainless steel 316L
Abstract
This study investigates the nanostructural evolution of austenitic stainless steel 316L subjected to ultrashort laser irradiation through a hybrid computational approach combining classical molecular dynamics and the two temperature model. Two distinct irradiation regimes are explored: (i) a low-fluence regime which is characterized by various defect formations mainly, including twin boundaries, stacking faults, and dislocation networks. (ii) a higher fluence regime where pronounced surface roughening emerges, with an optimal laser dose leads to the generation of nanobump structures as key features. A clear mechanism for the origin of these resulting nanobumps, as a combined effect of liquid stretching, rapid resolidification, and stress confinement dynamics, is established. Importantly, a direct link between the local surface wettability and laser fluence is proposed. We show that controlled laser energy deposition enables the selective local functionalization of stainless steel surface wettability to achieve either hydrophobic or hydrophilic behavior.
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BibTeX
@article{iabbaden2026atomistic,
title = {{Atomistic insights into ultrafast laser-induced local structural dynamics and wettability modulation in austenitic stainless steel 316L}},
author = {Djafar Iabbaden and Ilemona S Omeje and Arshak A Tsaturyan and Jean-Philippe Colombier},
journal = {Materials \& Design},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.1016/j.matdes.2026.115714},
url = {https://ujm.hal.science/ujm-05738041v1},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Atomistic insights into ultrafast laser-induced local structural dynamics and wettability modulation in austenitic stainless steel 316L
AU - Djafar Iabbaden
AU - Ilemona S Omeje
AU - Arshak A Tsaturyan
AU - Jean-Philippe Colombier
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/03
JO - Materials & Design
DO - 10.1016/j.matdes.2026.115714
UR - https://ujm.hal.science/ujm-05738041v1
AB - This study investigates the nanostructural evolution of austenitic stainless steel 316L subjected to ultrashort laser irradiation through a hybrid computational approach combining classical molecular dynamics and the two temperature model. Two distinct irradiation regimes are explored: (i) a low-fluence regime which is characterized by various defect formations mainly, including twin boundaries, stacking faults, and dislocation networks. (ii) a higher fluence regime where pronounced surface roughening emerges, with an optimal laser dose leads to the generation of nanobump structures as key features. A clear mechanism for the origin of these resulting nanobumps, as a combined effect of liquid stretching, rapid resolidification, and stress confinement dynamics, is established. Importantly, a direct link between the local surface wettability and laser fluence is proposed. We show that controlled laser energy deposition enables the selective local functionalization of stainless steel surface wettability to achieve either hydrophobic or hydrophilic behavior.
SN - 0261-3069
SN - 0264-1275
ER -