Laser structuring of the diamond surface in the nanoablation regime

The possibility of using nanoablation (graphitisation-free photoinduced etching) for precise micro- and nanostructuring of the surface of a diamond single crystal has been experimentally investigated. The processing has been performed by femtosecond third-harmonic pulses of a Ti : sapphire laser (lambda = 266 nm). The specific features of the formation of a surface nanorelief (regularity of the newly formed structures and reduced nanoablation rate near craters) are discussed. The possibility of fabricating a diamond phase diffraction grating with a relief depth of similar to 130 nm is demonstrated and the diffraction pattern recorded at lambda = 532 nm is compared with the results of theoretical analysis.