Advances in laser cleaning of artwork and objects of historical interest: the optimized pulse duration approach.

Laser ablation has found numerous applications in biomedical and industrial settings but has not spread as quickly as a means of cleaning artwork. In this Account, we report recent advances in the study and application of laser cleaning to the conservation of cultural heritage. We focus on the solution of representative cleaning problems of encrusted stones, metals, and wall paintings that were achieved through the optimization of laser pulse duration.