Flash laser annealing for controlling size and shape of magnetic alloy nanoparticles

We propose an original route to prepare magnetic alloy nanoparticles with uniform size and shape by using nanosecond annealing under pulsed laser irradiation. As demonstrated here on CoPt nanoparticles, flash laser annealing gives an unprecedented opportunity to control the size and the shape of bimetallic nanoparticles without changing their composition. The mechanisms involved in the complete reshaping of the nanoparticle thin films are discussed and it is also shown that order-disorder phase transformations occur under laser irradiation. This technique is then very interesting for magnetic alloy nanoparticles studies and applications because it opens up a new way to fabricate size-controlled spherical nanoparticles with narrow size dispersion.