SUPERMAT – A virtual center for sustainable development of advanced materials operating under extreme conditions

The expertise, main experimental facilities and some selected results of the EU SUPERMAT Consortium are described, showing the importance of integrating modelling and simulation, fast sintering and coating technologies and specific characterisation techniques for obtaining high temperature ceramics, oxide dispersion strengthened (ODS) steels or Li-ion batteries with controlled properties for extreme environmental applications

Enhancement of nanograting formation assisted by silver ions in a sodium gallophosphate glass

We investigated the influence of silver ions during the direct femtosecond laser-induced formation of nanogratings (NGs) at the surface of a tailored sodium gallophosphate glass. We observed that the silver ions had a remarkable influence because the silver-containing glass showed (1) lower fluence thresholds for the formation of the NGs; (2) much smoother NG shapes; and (3) a bifunctional behavior because fluorescence from laser-induced silver clusters occurs prior to the formation of the NGs. We demonstrate for the first time, to our knowledge, the formation of NGs assisted by noble metal ions, such as ions playing a kind of catalytic-like role that enhances and improves the NG formation and its incubation process. Our innovative approach provides promising potential for further improvements in processes for NG formation