Direct writing waveguides inside YAG crystal by femtosecond laser

A 120 fs Ti-sapphire laser was used to fabricate waveguides in YAG crystal. A 7 mm long waveguide was written at a position of 100 μm below the surface, which shows multimode propagation at 633 nm with optical attenuation of about 0.2 dB/mm. The light guiding occurs in the region around the visible laser-damaged region, indicating that the light guiding area is induced by stress. The waveguide exhibited strong birefringence property with maximum magnitude of about 1.5 × 10⁻⁵. Infrared and Raman spectroscopy analysis indicate there is no change in chemical composition in laser-modified zone.     

Deep subsurface optical waveguides produced by direct writing with femtosecond laser pulses in fused silica and phosphate glass

In the present work, we have analyzed the use of elliptical beam shaping along with low numerical aperture focusing optics in order to produce circular cross-section waveguides in different materials at large processing depths by direct femtosecond laser writing (100 fs, 800 nm, 1 kHz). A variable slit located before the focusing optics allows to generate a nearly elliptical beam shape and also to reduce the effective numerical aperture of the beam along the shat axis of the ellipse. The focusing optics allows to focus the beam deep inside the sample, which is translated at a constant speed transversely to the writing beam direction. The influence of several experimental parameters (energy per pulse, slit width, processing depth) on the properties of the produced waveguides has been analyzed. The influence of the intrinsic properties of the material (refractive index, composition) has been analyzed by comparing results obtained in fused silica and Er:Yb co-doped phosphate glass. The results obtained show that this approach leads to the successful production of deep subsurface (up to 7 mm) waveguides with circular cross-sections. Preliminary results using chirped pulses in the phosphate glass suggest that temporal pulse shaping can be used as an additional parameter to optimize the guided mode symmetry.     

Three-dimensional integration of microoptical components buried inside photosensitive glass by femtosecond laser direct writing

We report the three-dimensional (3D) integration of microoptical components such as microlenses, micromirrors and optical waveguides in a single glass chip by femtosecond (fs) laser direct writing. First, two types of microoptical lenses were fabricated inside photosensitive Foturan glass by forming hollow microstructures using fs laser direct writing followed by thermal treatment, successive wet etching and additional annealing. One type of lens is the cylindrical microlens with a curvature radius R of 1.0 mm, and the other is the plano-convex microlens with radius R of 0.75 mm. Subsequently, by the continuous procedure of hollow microstructure fabrication, a micromirror was integrated with the plano-convex microlens in the single glass chip. Further integration of waveguides was performed by internal refractive index modification using fs laser direct writing after the hollow structure fabrication of the microlens and the micromirror. A demonstration of the laser beam transmission in the integrated optical microdevice shows that the 3D integration of waveguides with a micromirror and a microoptical lens in a single glass chip is highly effective for light beam guiding and focusing. PACS 42.62.-b; 81.05.Kf; 42.82.Cr; 82.50.Pt; 42.79.Gn     

Control of femtosecond laser written waveguides in silica glass

Writing conditions for the fabrication of optical waveguides in bulk fused silica glass by use of 1 kHz focused femtosecond laser pulses at 800 nm were systematically determined for different focusing geometries. The results demonstrate that waveguides can be formed based on optical breakdown, filamentation (single or multiple), or a combination of both processes, when using pulse energies lower than the threshold of structural damage. The mechanisms of laser-induced index change are also discussed. PACS 42.65.Jx; 42.70.Ce; 42.79.Gn     

Influence of scanning velocity on femtosecond laser direct writing lines on FOTURAN glass

Lines are induced on the surface of a photosensitive (FOTURAN) glass by focused femtosecond laser transverse writing with scanning velocity in a wide range of 40- 1800μm/s. The formed lines are analyzed using scanning electron microscope (SEM) and optical microscope (OM). It is observed that three distinct morphologies of lines are produced depending on the scanning velocity. Lines written in low velocity level (40 - 100 μm/s) and high velocity level (1000 - 1800 μm/s) are uniform and regular, while those written in moderate velocity level (150 - 600 μm/s) are rough. The influence of scanning velocity is explained based on different pulses overlapping or cumulative dose of laser exposure in irradiated area. Fabrication of shallow groove on the surface is also demonstrated.     

Three-dimensional microfluidic channel with arbitrary length and configuration fabricated inside glass by femtosecond laser direct writing

We demonstrate, for the first time to the best of our knowledge, fabrication of three-dimensional microfluidic channels with arbitrary lengths and configurations inside glass by femtosecond laser direct writing. The main fabrication process includes two steps: (1) direct formation of hollow microchannels in a porous glass substrate immersed in water by femtosecond laser ablation and (2) postannealing of the glass substrate at ～1150°C by which the porous glass can be consolidated. We show that a square-wavelike channel with a total length of ～1.4 cm and a diameter of ～64 μm can be easily produced ～250 μm beneath the glass surface.     

Optical waveguide fabrication and integration with a micro-mirror inside photosensitive glass by femtosecond laser direct writing

Photosensitive glass is a potentially important material for micro-fluidic devices that can be integrated with micro-optical components for biochemical analysis. Here, we demonstrate the fabrication of optical waveguides inside glass by femtosecond laser direct writing. The influence of the laser parameters on the waveguide properties is investigated, and it is revealed that the waveguide mode can be well controlled. The single mode is achieved at a low writing energy, while the multimode is achieved with increasing energy. In spite of a longitudinally elongated elliptical shape of the cross-sectional profile, the far-field pattern of the single-mode waveguide shows an almost symmetric profile. The measured propagation loss and the coupling loss are evaluated to be ∼0.6 dB/cm and ∼1.6 dB at a wavelength of 632.8 nm, respectively, under the conditions of 1.0–2.0 μJ pulse energy and 200–500 μm/s scan speed. The increased optical loss is associated with a higher waveguide mode at higher writing energy. Furthermore, the integration of waveguides and a micromirror made of a hollow microplate inside the glass is demonstrated to bend the laser beam at an angle of 90° in a small chip. The bending loss is estimated to be smaller than 0.3 dB. PACS 42.62.-b; 42.82.Cr; 82.50.Pt; 42.79.Gn; 42.81.Qb     

Optical waveguide writing inside Foturan glass with femtosecond laser pulses

We investigated the femtosecond laser writing of optical waveguides inside Foturan glass at various pulse energies and focusing depths. An optimal waveguide fabricated solely by femtosecond laser irradiation showed a refractive index modulation of ∼1.7×10^-3 and a minimum transmission loss of ∼0.80 dB/cm. This type of waveguide had lower transmission loss than those fabricated by a hybrid process of femtosecond laser exposure and following thermal treatment. An optical splitter was also fabricated at high pulse energy. PACS 42.65.Re; 42.82.Et; 42.70.Gi     

Femtosecond laser writing of porous capillaries inside fused silica glass

We demonstrate that within a restricted optical pulse duration-pulse energy parameter space tightly focused femtosecond laser radiation can be used to fabricate porous capillaries in bulk fused silica glass by simply moving the laser focus through the material. We show that the rate of penetration of liquids into the porous capillaries can be controlled by the laser polarization, which determines their morphology. The fluid propagation is measured using the form birefringence of nanocrack/nanovoid structures produced inside the capillaries. We also demonstrate the nanofiltration capabilities of the capillaries by separating the relatively small molecules of Rhodamine 6G dye from their solvent.     

Three-dimensional direct femtosecond laser writing of second-order nonlinearities in glass

We demonstrate that direct femtosecond laser writing in silver-containing zinc and gallium phosphate glass enables generation of three-dimensional (3D) optical second-order nonlinear microstructures having an χ(2) value about 2.5 times that of quartz. The proposed physical model involves photo-reduction, photo-dissociation, and migration of silver species within the glass matrix. 3D laser-written second-order nonlinear structures could become a new class of nonlinear optical components.     

Femtosecond laser direct writing of multiwavelength Bragg grating waveguides in glass

Novel Bragg grating waveguide structures have been fabricated in bulk borosilicate glass through a type II photosensitivity mechanism driven by single femtosecond laser pulses. Low-loss single-mode waveguides and narrow-linewidth Bragg gratings were generated simultaneously by forming an array of refractive index voxels in a single laser scan. Laser pulse duration is shown to significantly affect the grating strength and waveguide loss. Bragg wavelengths, defined by the periodicity of laser-modified volumes, were fully controlled by the sample scan speed to provide resonances anywhere in the 1200-1620 nm telecommunication bands. Four linear Bragg filters with distinct resonant wavelengths are presented that define the first demonstration of laser writing of multiple-wavelength and cascaded Bragg grating waveguides in a single process step.     

Femtosecond laser direct writing of embedded optical waveguides in aluminosilicate glass

Using tightly focused femtosecond laser pulses to irradiate lines in aluminosilicate glass, embedded lines with increased refractive index, which function as optical waveguides were observed. The pulse energy (4.5–11.2 μJ) and writing speed (50–700 μm/s) were shown to affect the resultant optical properties of the waveguides such as the magnitude of refractive index change, core diameter and propagation mode. At pulse energies above 5 μJ, two types of structures were observed, namely an inhomogeneous void-like structure and a cross-sectional crack-like structure. These structures were found to affect significantly the resultant waveguiding properties of the irradiated lines. Using pulse energy of 5 μJ or below, single mode waveguides were fabricated. Raman spectroscopy showed that the fs laser pulses generated structural changes to the aluminosilicate glass. The fabrication of a 1×4 splitter was also demonstrated. PACS 42.62.-b; 42.82.-m; 81.05.Kf     

Selective metallization of photostructurable glass by femtosecond laser direct writing for biochip application

We report the selective metallization of photostructurable glass by femtosecond (fs) laser direct writing followed by electroless copper (Cu) plating. It was found that a Cu thin film can be deposited only on the rough surface of glass ablated by the fs laser. The deposited Cu thin film exhibits strong adhesion and excellent electrical properties. A Cu film can even be deposited on the internal wall of a hollow microchannel inside photostructurable glass by the multiphoton absorption of the fs laser. To show the use of this technique for micro-total-analysis-system (μ-TAS) applications, the fabrication of a microheater operating at temperatures up to 200 °C was demonstrated. PACS 81.05.Kf; 85.40.Ls; 87.85.Va     

Micro-hole fabricated inside FOTURAN glass using femtosecond laser writing and chemical etching

Vertical micro-holes were fabricated inside a photosensitive glass (FOTURAN) by focused femtosecond laser (λ = 775 nm) writing, followed by heat treatment and wet chemical etching in 8% hydrofluoric acid solution for 50 min. The micro-holes were analyzed by optical and scanning electron microscopy, and was found they own circular cross-section and clear edge. At present, micro-holes with aspect ratio of about 7 is achieved. By varying the incident laser fluence in a range of 2.3–36.2 J/cm² and the laser writing velocity in 100–1000 μm/s, the influences of femtosecond laser parameters on the formation of micro-holes are characterized as that: writing velocities hardly affect the micro-hole diameter, while relatively lower laser fluences result in smaller diameter, and the cross-section is more circular in this case. The possible reason for this phenomenon is discussed.     

Water-assisted drilling of microfluidic chambers inside silica glass with femtosecond laser pulses

Microfluidic chambers embedded in silica glass are drilled by water-assisted ablation with a femtosecond laser. The continuous scanning ablation increases the processing speed up to 50 μm/s. Not only may microchambers or microtrenches be obtained at high speed and in one step, but also combined structures consisting of cascaded microchambers and microtrenches may be fabricated. The inner-wall morphology of the microchambers is analyzed by a scanning electron microscope. PACS 87.80.Mj; 52.38.Mf; 82.50.Pt; 42.62.-b; 42.70.Ce     

Effect of refractive index-mismatch on laser microfabrication in silica glass

We studied the peculiarities of femtosecond laser microfabrication in silica glass with a refractive index that did not exactly match the value for which the focusing optics is designed. Spherical aberrations resulting from a small refractive index mismatch were found to increase the size and distort the shape of photodamaged regions, thus reducing the spatial resolution of the microfabrication. However, these undesirable effects can be minimized, providing that the focusing depth inside the glass is not too large, and the laser intensity is kept close to the light-induced damage threshold. Received: 3 December 2001 / Accepted: 11 April 2002 / Published online: 10 September 2002 RID="*" ID="*"Corresponding author. Fax: +81-88/656-7598, E-mail: misawa@eco.tokushima-u.ac.jp     

飞秒激光加工蓝宝石超衍射纳米结构

蓝宝石具有超强硬度及耐腐蚀、耐高温、在紫外-红外波段具有良好的透光性等优点,在军工业以及医疗器械方面具有广泛的应用前景.然而这些优点又对蓝宝石的机械加工或化学腐蚀加工带来困难.飞秒激光脉冲具有热损伤小、加工分辨率高、材料选择广等特点,被广泛应用于固体材料改性和高精度三维微纳器件加工.本文提出了利用飞秒激光多光子吸收特性在蓝宝石表面实现超越光学衍射极限的精细加工.利用聚焦后的波长为343 nm的飞秒激光,配合高精密三维压电位移台,实现激光焦点和蓝宝石晶体的相对三维移动,在蓝宝石晶体衬底上进行精确扫描,得到了线宽约61 nm的纳米线,纳米线间的最小间距达到142 nm左右.利用等离子体模型解释了加工得到的纳米条纹的产生原因,研究了激光功率、扫描速度对加工分辨率的影响.最终本工作实现了超越光学衍射极限的加工精度,为实现利用飞秒激光对高硬度材料的微纳结构制备提供了参考.     

Waveguide electro-optic modulator in fused silica fabricated by femtosecond laser direct writing and thermal poling

An integrated electro-optic waveguide modulator is demonstrated in bulk fused silica. A Mach-Zehnder interferometer waveguide structure is fabricated by direct writing with a femtosecond laser followed by thermal poling. A 20 degrees electro-optic phase shift is achieved at an operating wavelength of 1.55 microm with an applied voltage of 400 V and an interaction length of 25.6 mm, which correspond to an estimated effective electro-optic coefficient of 0.17 pm/V for the TE-polarized mode.     

Whispering-gallery-mode microdisk lasers produced by femtosecond laser direct writing

We report in this Letter fabrication of whispering-gallery-mode microdisk lasers by femtosecond laser direct writing of dye-doped resins. Not only is well-defined disk shape upheld on an inverted cone-shaped supporter, but the disk also exhibits significant lasing actions characteristic of an abrupt increase of light output and the significant narrowing of the spectral lines when the threshold is approached. This work shows that the laser micronanofabrication technology is not only applicable to passive micro-optical components, but also it may play an important role in fabrication of active optoelectronic devices and their integrated photonic circuits.