Laser beam shaping for the nanostructuring of chiral surfaces

Recent progress in laser beam shaping has opened new avenues for generating asymmetric and chiral surface nanostructures with potential applications in chiral sensing, enantiomer separation, molecular spectroscopy, disease diagnosis, and optical signal control. In this work, we investigate the use of ultrafast structured laser beams to induce controlled asymmetry on material surfaces. By manipulating vector beams through polarization, spatial, and temporal shaping, including exotic polarization states such as radial, azimuthal, and spiral, we aim to control the interaction between light and matter and trigger new self-organization mechanisms. Particular attention is given to femtosecond laser pulses, which offer enhanced precision and structuring capabilities compared to longer pulse durations. The resulting micro and nanostructures will be thoroughly characterized to evaluate their asymmetry and explore their functional potential.