Ultrafast laser ablation for restoration of heritage objects

Powerful ultrafast laser pulses have a unique capability to ablate material from the surface without heat propagation into the bulk due to the non-linear nature of the laser-surface interaction. This quality offers a new application of ultrafast lasers for restoration of objects of art and heritage artefacts. We discuss the laser-based cleaning methods used in art restoration, analyse the potential advantages and challenges of using ultrafast laser pulses, and present new encouraging results on using ultrafast lasers in the field of heritage conservation.