At present, laser cutting technology is widely used in the processing of metal ---metal laser cutting machine and non-metallic materials, which can greatly reduce processing time, reduce processing costs, and improve the quality of the workpiece. In retrospect, this technology is usually powered by high-energy beams, which are even hot enough to melt most materials.

Recently, scientists from McGill University have developed a milder and more accurate laser cutting technology using low-power visible light, which may overturn the previous appearance of this technology and lead to more extensive applications.

It is reported that this new process, called "cold light engraving", only requires a small part of the energy required by traditional laser cutting technology to complete accurate laser cutting . Its laser power only needs about 0.5-20 MW, which is much lower than that used for metals, ceramics or polymers.

Tomislav Friscic, a professor of chemistry at McGill University, said that the crystal structure module they designed can be cut with low-power light, and the accuracy is amazing. Different from the traditional thermal cutting method, this method can achieve engraving cutting with nanometer resolution. The researchers say this is because light can focus more accurately than heat.

It is reported that they achieved this by developing a halogen bonded eutectic containing a fluoroazobenzene derivative and a volatile component (dioxane or pyrazine), which can be cut and carved with low power visible light, thus forming a unique cold lithography process. The goal of the whole process is to destroy weak supramolecular interactions, rather than focusing on covalent bonds or ion structures as traditional laser beam or focused ion beam processing processes.

According to the researchers, this new technology can also be used to carve complex patterns on the surfaces of various materials. They hope to develop a more sophisticated new method in the future, so that materials such as metals or ceramics can be easily formed or cut in low-power light. At present, the team is studying the potential applications of the above processes in solar cell materials.

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