Beam spatial profile effect on femtosecond laser surface structuring of titanium in scanning regime

•In a scanning regime, a symmetrical fs-laser beam yields in nanostructured microspikes.•Smooth and less oxidized microspikes were obtained using an asymmetrical fs-laser beam.•Surface topology and oxidation degree depends on scanning direction in the asymmetrical case We have developed a new method for manipulating nanotopology and chemical composition of titanium surfaces by a scanning femtosecond laser beam with an asymmetrical spatial fluence distribution. Using of a common Gaussian laser beam leads to formation of combined nano- and micro-scale surface topologies owing to superimposition of different laser beam parts during the surface scanning. In contrast, beam shaping results in presumable surface structuring at specific laser fluences yielding in “clean” surface structures. In a simple case, cutting of a half beam perpendicular to the scanning direction enables to eliminate surface nanotopology, leaving less oxidized, cleaner and smoother microspikes, just by changing the scanning direction. Optimal experimental conditions were revealed to obtain in air the topologically and chemically different surface structures using the asymmetrical femtosecond laser beam and the opposite scanning directions.