Femtosecond laser-induced damage and filamentary propagation in fused silica

Bulk damage induced by fs IR laser pulses in silica is investigated both experimentally and numerically. In a strong focusing geometry, a first damage zone is followed by a narrow track with submicron width, indicating a filamentary propagation. The shape and size of the damage tracks are shown to correspond to the zone where the electron density created by optical field ionization and avalanche is close to 10(20) cm(-3). The relative role of avalanche and photoionization is studied. The plasma density produced in the wake of the pulse is shown to saturate around 2-4x10(20) cm(-3).     

Femtosecond ablation of ultrahard materials

Several ultrahard materials and coatings of definite interest for tribological applications were tested with respect to their response when irradiated with fs laser pulses. Results on cemented tungsten carbide and on titanium carbonitride are reported for the first time and compared with outcomes of investigations on diamond and titanium nitride. The experiments were carried out in air, in a regime of 5–8 J/cm² fluences, using the beam of a commercial Ti:sapphire laser. The changes induced in the surface morphology were analysed with a Nomarski optical microscope, and with SEM and AFM techniques. From the experimental data and from the calculated incident energy density distributions, the damage and ablation threshold values were determined. As expected, the diamond showed the highest threshold, while the cemented tungsten carbide exhibited typical values for metallic surfaces. The ablation rates determined (under the above-mentioned experimental conditions) were in the range 0.1–0.2 μm per pulse for all the materials investigated. Received: 31 August 2001 / Accepted: 3 December 2001 / Published online: 20 March 2002     

Femtosecond time-resolved interferences of resonantly excited excitons in bulk GaN

It is shown that excitonic transients of bulk GaN can be accurately measured by an interferometric correlation technique used in reflection geometry. This is demonstrated for resonantly excited excitons in high quality GaN epilayers. The interferograms exhibit a clear modulation of the signal due the quantum beats between A and B excitons. The period of these beats is in good agreement with the A–B exciton energy splitting measured by means of frequency-resolved reflectivity. The decrease of the overall signal is mainly connected to the crystal quality and strongly dependent on the inhomogeneous broadening which can be extracted from the correlation spectra. These results are in agreement with numerical calculations based on the Fourier transform determination of the time-resolved reflection coefficient in the framework of linear semi-classical theory carried out in order to obtain the autocorrelation response.     

Femtosecond laser micromachining in the conjugated polymer MEH-PPV

Femtosecond-laser micromachining of poly[2-methoxy-5-(2′-ethylhexyloxy)-p-phenylene vinylene] films is investigated using 130 fs pulses at 800 nm from a laser oscillator operating at 76 MHz repetition rate. We investigate the effect of pulse energy and translation speed on the depth and morphology of the micromachined regions. We quantified the MEH-PPV photobleaching induced by the fs-laser, and the conditions in which the emission of MEH-PPV is preserved after the micromaching.     

Gamma-induced modifications of polycarbonate polymer

Gamma-induced modifications in polycarbonate polymer have been studied in the dose range of 10¹–10⁶ Gy. Thin films of polycarbonate have been irradiated with different gamma doses from a Co⁶⁰ source. To monitor the modifications caused by gamma radiation, FT-IR, differential scanning calorimetry and X-ray diffraction studies have been performed. The studies have indicated that at the dose of 10⁶ Gy, phenolic group forms through scissioning of ester linkage. Though the effect of radiation is most significant at the highest dose, the process of modifications starts at 10³ Gy. Scissioning of the polymeric chain initiates a different morphological zone within the polymer matrix, and the polymer becomes more crystalline with increasing dose. Owing to chain scissioning, the mobility of the polymer increases, which in turn reduces the glass transition temperature of the polymer.     

Femtosecond mechanisms of electronic excitations in crystalline materials

The lattice dynamics of crystals is investigated in the course of high-power electronic excitation. It is revealed that, at W _e < W _eo , atoms and ions are displaced from their regular sites for 100–300 fs. Subsequent relaxation of the crystal lattice in response to a strong local electric field induced by the collisional displacement of ions occurs for 10–50 ns in an oscillatory manner with a period of 0.5–1.5 ps.     

Sub-picosecond ultraviolet laser filamentation-induced bulk modifications in fused silica

We present experiments with sub-picosecond ultraviolet laser pulses (248 nm, 450 fs) tightly focused in the bulk of fused-silica samples. The high laser intensities attained generate plasma through multi-photon absorption and electron avalanche processes in the bulk of the material. Depending on the initial experimental conditions three distinct types of structural changes in the material are observed, from small changes of the refractive index to birefringence, and even cracks and voids. We also observe the creation of micro-channels, up to 115 m in length, inside the material due to self-guiding and filamentation of the laser pulses in the transparent material. The selective change of the refractive index is a promising method for the fabrication of photonic structures such as waveguides and three-dimensional integrated optical devices. PACS  52.38.Hb; 42.65.-k; 42.70.-a     

Picosecond-laser-induced structural modifications in the bulk of single-crystal diamond

Arrays of through laser-graphitized microstructures have been fabricated in type IIa single-crystal 1.2-mm-thick diamond plates by multipulse laser irradiation with 10-ps pulses at λ=532 nm wavelength. Raman and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy studies of the bulk microstructures have evidenced the diamond transformation to amorphous carbon and graphitic phases and the formation of radiation defects pronounced in the PL spectra as the self-interstitial related center, the 3H center, at 504 nm. It is found that the ultrafast-laser-induced structural modifications in the bulk of single-crystal diamond plates occur along {111} planes, known as the planes of the lowest cleavage energy and strength in diamond.     

Femtosecond fabrication of waveguide-like micro-structures in a photorefractive polymer

In this letter, we report on, for the first time, the successful femtosecond micro-fabrication of continuous waveguide-like channels in the photorefractive polymer consisting of the nonlinear chromophore 2,5-dimethyl-4-(p-nitrophenylazo)anisole (DMNPAA), the photosensitive compound 2,4,7-trinitro-9-flourenone (TNF), and the plasticiser N-ethylcarbazole (ECZ) all doped in the polymer matrix poly (methyl methacry-late) (PMMA). These channels are caused by the change in refractive index as a result of the localised heating of the polymer and therefore have an important potential for micro-photonic devices in future.     

Femtosecond laser synthesized nanohybrid materials for bioapplications

Hybrid nanomaterials were synthesized by adopting femtosecond laser ablation of a ZnO target in pure ethanol. Dye molecules were grafted onto the ZnO nanoparticles by mixing colloidal ZnO-ethanol solution prepared by laser ablation to Tetramethylrhodamine B isothiocyante, or to Rhodamine B solutions. Strongly facetted nanohybrid particles were observed with an average size of 15 nm, by HRTEM measurements. From photoluminescence spectroscopy of the nanohybrids after single and multiphoton excitations, we observed energy transfer from the ZnO nanoparticles towards the attached dye molecules. Moreover, IR excitation spectra of the hybrid nanomaterials reveal the emission of the grafted dye via two photon absorption of the ZnO.     

Growth kinetics of polymer crystals in bulk

Temperature-dependent measurements of spherulite growth rates carried out for i-polystyrene, poly(ε -caprolactone) and linear polyethylene show that the controlling activation barrier diverges at a temperature which is 14K, 22K and 12K, respectively, below the equilibrium melting points. We discuss the existence of such a “zero growth temperature” T _zg in the framework of a recently introduced thermodynamic multiphase scheme and identify T _zg with the temperature of a (hidden) transition between the melt and a mesomorphic phase which mediates the crystal growth. The rate-determining step in our model of crystal growth is the attachment of chain sequences from the melt onto the lateral face of a mesomorphic layer at the growth front. The necessary straightening of the sequence prior to an attachment is the cause of the activation barrier. A theory based on this view describes correctly the observations. With a knowledge of T _zg it is possible to fully establish the nanophase diagram describing the stability ranges of crystalline and mesomorphic layers in a melt. An evaluation of data from small-angle X-ray scattering, calorimetry and optical growth rate measurements yields heats of transition and surface free energies of crystals and mesophase layers, as well as the activation barrier per monomer associated with the chain stretching. According to the theory, the temperature dependence of the crystallization rate is determined by both the activation energy per monomer and the surface free energy of the preceding mesomorphic layer. Data indicate that the easiness of crystallization in polyethylene is first of all due to a particularly low surface free energy of the mesomorphic layer.     

飞秒激光精细加工含能材料

介绍了飞秒激光脉冲特点及其与物质相互作用机理, 论述了飞秒激光微加工含能材料技术特点及优势, 综述了飞秒激光加工含能材料技术及发展. 讨论了飞秒激光加工含能材料技术进一步发展所需的实验与理论研究工作以及相应的研究方案和关键技术. 关键词： 飞秒激光微加工 含能材料 冲击温度 冲击压强     

Femtosecond laser induced index and relief gratings in polymer films

A true single-step process suitable for fabrication of micro-periodic structure in polymer films by two photon initiated photopolymerization and laser ablation is presented. By the right choice of the irradiation energy, the irradiated zone is modified or ablated in the 1.44-μm-thick film. The mechanism of grating generation and the potential application of the gratings in integrated optics are discussed.     

Femtosecond photon echo in dye-doped polymer films at room temperature

The signals of primary and stimulated femtosecond photon echo in polymer films doped with dye (phthalocyanine) molecules have been experimentally investigated at room temperature. A femtosecond echo spectrometer for these echo experiments is described. The decay curves of echo signals with increasing time intervals between excitation femtosecond pulses are obtained and blue shifts of the spectra of femtosecond echo signals with respect to the spectrum of excitation pulses are revealed. The possibilities of using the studied doped polymer films as recording media for high-temperature echo processors and coolants in optical refrigerators are analyzed.     

Fracture mechanisms in bulk metallic glassy materials

We find that the failure of bulk metallic glassy (BMG) materials follows three modes, i.e., shear fracture with a fracture plane significantly deviating from 45 degrees to the loading direction, normal tensile fracture with a fracture plane perpendicular to the loading direction, or distensile fracture in a break or splitting mode with a fracture plane parallel to the loading direction. The actually occurring type of failure strongly depends on the applied loading mode and the microstructure of the material. Extensive evidence indicates that the Tresca fracture criterion is invalid, and for the first time, three fracture criteria are developed for isotropic materials with high strength, such as advanced BMGs or the newly developed bulk nanostructural materials.     

Anti-stokes laser cooling in bulk erbium-doped materials

We report the first observation of anti-Stokes laser-induced cooling in the Er3+:KPb2Cl5 crystal and in the Er3+:CNBZn (CdF2-CdCl2-NaF-BaF2-BaCl2-ZnF2) glass. The internal cooling efficiencies have been calculated by using photothermal deflection spectroscopy. Thermal scans acquired with an infrared thermal camera proved the bulk cooling capability of the studied samples. The implications of these results are discussed.     

Electrolytic hydrogenation of p-type silicon bulk and surface modifications

An electrolytic method is used to introduce hydrogen into p-type silicon, at room temperature. The results of SIMS analysis indicate that hydrogen diffuses more rapidly in highly doped samples than in low doped samples, in contrast with the results of plasma annealing. The electrochemical technique creates a large number of surface defects, probably related to the existence of a thin hydrogenated layer beneath the surface.     

块体热电材料的研究进展

文章重点介绍了现役热电材料（Bi2Te3,PbTe,SiGe）、常见结构类型（方钴矿型,笼合物型,Half-Heusler合金型,钠钴氧型和Zn4Sb3型）热电材料及新颖晶体结构类型的热电材料的晶体结构、热电性能、热电性能优化等方面的最新研究进展.