A surface-modified airfoil for a gas turbine engine component is provided. The surface-modified airfoil includes an airfoil having an exterior surface at a leading edge, a trailing edge, a suction side, and a pressure side. A surface feature in at least a portion of the exterior surface comprises at least one of a protrusion feature or a depression feature. The surface feature is operatively configured for one of anchoring a coating on at least the portion of the exterior surface or controlling a direction of incident energy reflected from the surface-modified airfoil.

A gas turbine engine component having a substrate; a thermal barrier coating on the substrate having a porous microstructure; and a reflective layer conforming to the porous microstructure of the thermal barrier coating, wherein the reflective layer comprises a conforming nanolaminate defined by alternating layers of platinum group metal materials selected from the group consisting of platinum group metal-based alloys, platinum group metal intermetallic compounds, mixtures of platinum group metal with metal oxides and combinations thereof. A capping layer can be added over the reflective layer. A supporting layer can be added between the reflective layer and the thermal barrier coating. A process is also disclosed.