0_7864 Cold-processing of refractory metals, wide bang-gap semiconductors and hard-ceramics surfaces was obtained through the fabrication of Laser-Induced Periodic Surface Structures (LIPSS) following irradiation with ultrashort laser pulses. The fabrication of LIPSS is a nanomachining technique that is playing a critical role in technological applications such as selective absorbers for concentrated solar radiation or high-power laser applications, as well as defect engineered device structures, since it allows to finely tune the optical and electronic properties of a vast class of materials.The self-ordered periodical patterns were investigated using morphological characterizations (Scanning Electron Microscopy and Atomic Force Microscopy), chemical characterization (Raman Spectroscopy), and optical characterization (spectrophotometry) in order to analyze the occurring relationship between the observed features and the experimental parameters used.Through the use of this novel nanomachining technique, it was possible to control the size, periodicity, orientation and geometry of the fabricated structures and directly control and enhance the solar absorptance due to the newfound capability of light trapping by the laser-induced nanotexturing.