Abstract
A new innovation in crystallization techniques using a femtosecond laser, of which the authors have
been developing for in this decade, is reviewed. We first introduce a novel selective crystallization
method of the metastable phase of pharmaceutical compounds with cavitation bubbles induced by femtosecond
laser irradiation. Surprisingly, the metastable phase obtained by this method possesses high
temporal stability, and thus, the method can be promising in producing new medicines. We also describe
our recent development in spatio-temporal control of crystal growth by femtosecond laser ablation,
which enables us to promote the growth of various organic crystals including protein crystals. We also
explain the underlying mechanism from the viewpoint of crystal growth mode. we expect these laser
methods will be applied to various scientific and industrial fields related to crystallization.
