Blacker than black

A research group at the University of Rochester led by assistant professor Chunlei Guo has created a method to blacken metals using a femtosecond laser.

The key to creating black metal is an ultra-brief, ultra-intense beam of light called a femtosecond laser pulse. The laser burst lasts only a few quadrillionths of a second. To get a grasp of that kind of speed—a femtosecond is to a second what a second is to about 32 million years.

During its brief burst, Guo's laser unleashes as much power as the entire grid of North America onto a spot the size of a needle point. That intense blast forces the surface of the metal to form and nanostructures—pits, globules, and strands that both dramatically increase the area of the surface and capture radiation. Some larger structures also form in subsequent blasts. Guo's research team has tested the absorption capabilities for the black metal and confirmed that it can absorb virtually all the light that falls on it, making it pitch black.

This technique is extremely useful for detectors of all kinds as it means that they will easily absorb more radiation without any worry about the coating coming off as it's a property of the metal.

To quote Zaphod Beeblebrox "That is so bad for the eyes."