Discharge instability induced by external laser preionization of a XeF discharge laser

External-laser-induced preionization of excimer lasers was investigated. A discharge XeF laser was preionized by two different UV lasers [a KrF laser (λ=249 nm) and an ArF laser (λ=193 nm)], and the improvements in performance of the XeF laser were compared. The XeF laser beam profiles were measured by an intensified CCD (ICCD) camera with temporal resolution of 10 ns. Striated XeF laser profiles were obtained with 249 nm laser preionization, whereas there was no striation in the profiles for 193 nm laser preionization. These striations originated from discharge in the XeF laser induced by laser preionization. The influence of excited rare-gas atoms on the discharge instability was examined.     

Efficient laser operation of diode-pumped Pr3+,Mg2+:SrAl12O19

We report on diode-pumped laser operation of Pr³⁺,Mg²⁺:SrAl₁₂O₁₉ at lasing wavelengths of λ _L = 724.4 nm, λ _L = 643.5 nm, and λ _L = 622.8 nm. Furthermore, the laser threshold could be reached in the green spectral range. By pumping the crystal longitudinally from each side with two polarization beam combined InGaN laser diodes, a total pump power of ≈4 W was available. In the deep red spectral range, a maximum output power of 564 mW was achieved with a maximum slope efficiency of 50 % with respect to the absorbed pump power. The maximum possible internal losses were estimated to ≈1 %. Beam quality factors M ² were in the range of 1.2–1.5.     

A multichannel Raman spectrometry study of polyacetylene isomerization induced by laser irradiation

The multichannel Raman spectrometry has been used in the study of the isomerization reaction of an 80% cis PA film into a trans PA, using a laser beam for a double purpose. It is employed simultaneously as an activation agent inducing the isomerization reaction and the Raman diffusion. In each experience, the power of the laser beam Pⁱ(λ) was equivalent to the temperature. Twelve spectra have been recorded at different time periods tj = j·dt. The integrations of the Raman intensities related to two selected bands were numerically calculated.We also proposed an original method for the determination of the isomeric composition. A quantitative relationship between the equilibrium temperature and the laser beam power (in the range of laser power: 30 < Pⁱ(λ) < 300 mW) has been found. An estimate number of isomerized molecules N₀ and then a correction factors f_cis and f_trans were also obtained.     

Laser surface texturing of gray cast iron for improving tribological behavior

Laser surface texturing process involves creation of microfeatures, e.g., tiny dimples, usually distributed in a certain pattern, covering only a fraction of the surface of the material that is being treated. The process offers several advantages for tribological applications, including improved load capacity, wear resistance, lubrication lifetime, and reduced friction coefficient. In the present study, the surface modification of gray cast iron, using millisecond (λ = 1,064 nm), nanosecond (λ = 1,064 nm) and femtosecond (λ = 800 nm) pulse duration laser irradiation, is adopted to establish a particular geometrical pattern with dimple features and dimensions, to improve wear and friction behavior. The effect of various laser processing parameters, including laser pulse energy, pulse duration and processing speed, on the performance characteristics of the laser-treated samples is investigated. The microtextured surfaces were produced on gray cast iron using different millisecond (0.5 ms), nanosecond (40 ns) and femtosecond (120 fs) laser source with the dimple depth between 3 and 15 μm. The coefficient of friction for the untextured surface was ~0.55, millisecond laser textured ~0.31, nanosecond laser textured ~0.02 and femtosecond laser ~0.01, under normal force of 50 N and sliding speed of 63 mm/s. Surface texturing of the gray cast iron surface using femtosecond pulse duration resulted in significant improvement in wear resistance in comparison to the untextured as well as millisecond and nanosecond laser-textured surface.     

Active laser frequency stabilization using neutral praseodymium (Pr)

We present a new possibility for the active frequency stabilization of a laser using transitions in neutral praseodymium. Because of its five outer electrons, this element shows a high density of energy levels leading to an extremely line-rich excitation spectrum with more than 25?000 known spectral lines ranging from the UV to the infrared. We demonstrate the active frequency stabilization of a diode laser on several praseodymium lines between 1105 and 1123 nm. The excitation signals were recorded in a hollow cathode lamp and observed via laser-induced fluorescence. These signals are strong enough to lock the diode laser onto most of the lines by using standard laser locking techniques. In this way, the frequency drifts of the unlocked laser of more than 30 MHz/h were eliminated and the laser frequency stabilized to within 1.4(1) MHz for averaging times >0.2 s. Frequency quadrupling the stabilized diode laser can produce frequency-stable UV-light in the range from 276 to 281 nm. In particular, using a strong hyperfine component of the praseodymium excitation line E=16?502.616_7/2 cm $^{-1}\rightarrow E'=25\,442.742^{\mathrm{o}}_{9/2}$  cm^?1 at λ=1118.5397(4) nm makes it possible—after frequency quadruplication—to produce laser radiation at λ/4=279.6349(1) nm, which can be used to excite the D₂ line in Mg⁺.     

Multi-beam second-harmonic generation in beta barium borate with a spatial light modulator and application to internal structuring in poly(methyl methacrylate)

Parallel beam frequency doubling of 170 fs, NIR pulses is demonstrated by placing a thin beta barium borate (BBO) nonlinear crystal after a spatial light modulator. Computer-generated holograms applied to the spatial light modulator create 18 parallel diffracted beams at the fundamental wavelength λ=775 nm, then frequency doubled to λ=387 nm and focussed inside the poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) substrate for refractive index structuring. This procedure, demonstrated for the first time in PMMA, requires careful attention to phase matching of multiple beams and opens up dynamic parallel processing at UV wavelengths where nematic liquid crystal devices are more sensitive to optical damage. By overlapping filamentary modifications, an efficient, stable volume phase grating with dimensions 5×5×2.0 mm³ and pitch Λ=15 μm was fabricated in 18 minutes and reached a first-order diffraction efficiency of 70 % at the Bragg angle.     

Nonlinear beam clean-up using resonantly enhanced sum-frequency mixing

We investigate the possibility of improving the beam quality and obtaining high conversion efficiency in nonlinear sum-frequency generation. A 765 nm beam from an external cavity tapered diode laser is single-passed through a nonlinear crystal situated in the high intracavity field of a 1342 nm Nd:YVO₄ laser, generating a SFG beam at 488 nm. The ECDL have M _H ² =1.9 and M _V ² =2.4 and the solid-state laser has M ²<1.05. Varying the focusing of the 765 nm beam, the conversion efficiency and the beam quality of the generated 488 nm beam change correspondingly. We show that it is possible to improve the M ² of the 488 nm beam to less than 1.3 while preserving a high conversion efficiency of the SFG process.     

Wear resistance of ZrC/TiN and ZrC/ZrN thin multilayers grown by pulsed laser deposition

ZrC/TiN and ZrC/ZrN multilayers thinner than 350 nm were grown on (100) Si substrates at a temperature of 300 °C by the pulsed laser deposition (PLD) technique using a KrF excimer laser (λ=248 nm, pulse duration τ=25 ns, 8.0 J/cm² fluence and 40 Hz repetition rate). Cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy, Auger electron spectroscopy depth profiling and simulations of X-ray reflectivity curves indicated that there was intermixing between the deposited layers at the interfaces as well as between the first layer and the substrate. Nanoindentation investigations found hardness values between 35 and 38 GPa for the deposited multilayers. Linear unidirectional sliding wear tests were conducted using a ball-on-plate tribometer under 1 N normal force. Wear tracks were produced in a Hysitron nanoindenter with 1 μm radius diamond tip under a 500 μN load. High-resolution cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy studies of the wear tracks showed that the multilayers withstood these tests without significant damage. The results could be explained by the use of a high laser fluence during deposition that resulted in very dense and strongly adherent nanocrystalline layers.     

Sub-100-nm laser-induced periodic surface structures upon irradiation of titanium by Ti:sapphire femtosecond laser pulses in air

The formation of laser-induced periodic surface structures (LIPSS) on titanium upon irradiation with linearly polarized femtosecond (fs) laser pulses (τ=30 fs, λ=790 nm) in an air environment is studied experimentally and theoretically. In the experiments, the dependence on the laser fluence and the number of laser pulses per irradiation spot has been analyzed. For a moderate number of laser pulses (N<1000) and at fluences between ～0.09 and ～0.35 J/cm², predominantly low-spatial-frequency-LIPSS with periods between 400 nm and 800 nm are observed perpendicular to the polarization. In a narrow fluence range between 0.05 and 0.09 J/cm², high-spatial-frequency-LIPSS with sub-100-nm spatial periods (～λ/10) can be generated with an orientation parallel to the polarization (N=50). These experimental results are complemented by calculations based on a theoretical LIPSS model and compared to the present literature.     

A novel concept for in situ gas-phase laser Raman spectroscopy for solid oxide fuel cell research

A planar solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) operated with hydrogen at T = 1,123 K was equipped with an optically transparent anode flow field to apply species concentration measurements by 1D laser Raman scattering. The flow channels had a cross section of 3 mm × 4 mm and a length of 40 mm. The beam from a pulsed high-power frequency-doubled Nd:YAG laser (λ = 532 nm) was directed through one channel and the Raman-scattered light from different molecular species was imaged onto an intensified CCD camera. The main goal of the study was an assessment of the potential of this experimental configuration for a quantitative determination of local gas concentrations. The paper describes the configuration of the optically accessible SOFC, the laser system and optical setup for 1D Raman spectroscopy as well as the challenges associated with the measurements. Important aspects like laser pulse shaping, signal background and signal quality are addressed. Examples of measured species concentration profiles are presented.     

Ablation depth control with 40 nm resolution on ITO thin films using a square,flat top beam shaped femtosecond NIR laser

We reported on the ablation depth control with a resolution of 40 nm on indium tin oxide (ITO) thin film using a square beam shaped femtosecond (190 fs) laser (λ_p=1030 nm). A slit is used to make the square, flat top beam shaped from the Gaussian spatial profile of the femtosecond laser. An ablation depth of 40 nm was obtained using the single pulse irradiation at a peak intensity of 2.8 TW/cm². The morphologies of the ablated area were characterized using an optical microscope, atomic force microscope (AFM), and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). Ablations with square and rectangular types with various sizes were demonstrated on ITO thin film using slits with varying x–y axes. The stereo structure of the ablation with the depth resolution of approximately 40 nm was also fabricated successfully using the irradiation of single pulses with different shaped sizes of femtosecond laser.     

All optical switching in henna thin film

The optical nonlinearity in henna (Lawson (2- hydroxyl-1,4 naphthoquinone) film was utilized to demonstrate all optical switching. The nonlinear absorption of the henna film was calculated by measuring the transmission of the laser beam (λ = 488 nm) as a function of incident light intensities. The observed nonlinear absorption is attributed to a two-photon absorption process. The pump and probe technique was used to demonstrate all optical switching. The switching characteristics can be utilized to generate all-optical logic gates such as simple inverter switches (NOT) NOR, AND NAND logic functions.     

Two-dimensional measurements of laser-induced breakdown in air by high-speed two-frame shadowgraphy

We present two-dimensional measurements of the laser-induced plasma development and shock wave evolution in air. The breakdown is induced by a Q-switched Nd:YAG laser (λ=1064 nm) with a pulse duration of 4 ns. To study these fast laser-induced phenomena, we have developed a high-speed, two frame shadowgraph method. It enables 2D visualization of a laser-induced event in two time instances, which are delayed by an arbitrary time interval in the range from 300 ps to 30 ns. The established method is based on 30 ps, green (λ=532 nm), and linearly polarized laser pulse, which is split into two orthogonally polarized illumination pulses for direct and delayed illumination of the breakdown area. Exploiting polarization of the probe pulses, we capture two temporally and spatially separated frames with two CCD cameras. Special attention is given to the subsequent data processing, especially to the minimization of the systematic error due to alignment of both images, and to the determination of 2D velocity distribution from the captured image pairs.     

Optodynamic energy conversion efficiency during laser ablation on metal surfaces measured by shadow photography

In this investigation, we used high-speed shadow photography to observe fast optodynamic phenomena such as shock waves and the ablation of flat metal surfaces. These phenomena were induced in air by a Q-switched Nd:YAG laser (λ = 1,064 nm) with a pulse duration of 4 ns and an excitation pulse energy between 10 and 55 mJ. For a good spatial resolution of the shadowgraphs, we used short illumination pulses (30 ps) from a frequency-doubled Nd:YAG laser (λ = 532 nm). Using the shadowgraphs of the shock wave expansion into a half-space, we measured the optodynamic energy conversion efficiency, defined as the ratio between the mechanical energy of the shock wave and the excitation pulse energy. This efficiency increases with an increasing excitation pulse energy. We also present the characteristic shadowgraphs of the ablation of a black-painted metal surface, where the macroscopic material particles are clearly visible. They follow the shock wave and eventually overtake it. As a result, the shape of the shock wave, which normally expands concentrically into the half-space, has an altered form. The presented results reveal the phenomenon of the laser ablation of coated metal surfaces.     

Effect of crystal orientation on picosecond-laser bulk microstructuring and Raman lasing in diamond

In the paper we report on picosecond-laser bulk microstructuring and stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) in type IIa single-crystal diamond in the course of multipulse irradiation at λ=532 nm wavelength using an advanced ps-laser system equipped with additional setups for on-line video imaging and photoluminescence spectra measurements. The effect of crystal orientation (relative to the incident laser beam) on (i) optical breakdown thresholds, (ii) character of bulk modifications, and (iii) generation of stimulated Raman scattering in diamond during irradiation with picosecond pulses of different durations (τ ₁=10 ps and τ ₂=44 ps) is studied. It is shown that the processes of laser-induced breakdown in the bulk of diamond (at the backside of the crystals) and bulk microstructure growth are governed by the dielectric breakdown mechanism. It is found that generation of high-order stimulated Raman scattering in diamond crystals has a considerable effect on the threshold of laser-induced breakdown and bulk microstructuring. Conditions of the efficient SRS lasing are determined, depending on the pulse duration and the direction ([100] and [110]) of the laser beam incidence. A method of local temperature measurements in the bulk of diamond based on the Stokes-to-anti-Stokes intensity ratio in the recorded SRS spectra is proposed, its applicability to determine a “pre-breakdown” temperature of diamond during multipulse ps-laser irradiation is discussed.     

Highly efficient,kW peak power, 1.55 µm all-fiber MOPA system with a diffraction-limited laser output beam

We report a high-efficiency, single-mode, all-fiber pulsed laser system built in a master oscillator power amplifier format, operating in the eye-safe (λ ~1,549 nm) spectral range, providing over 1.5 W of average output power with up to 51 dB of total signal gain. It comprises the flexibility of smooth pulse duration control from single ns to 260 ns with independently tunable repetition rate ranging from 40 kHz to 1 MHz. Pulses as short as 4 ns with up to 20 μJ energy and corresponding peak power of 5 kW are demonstrated. The laser system delivered a nearly diffraction-limited beam with M ² ~1.     

Progressive formation of fine and coarse ripples on SiC surface by repeated irradiation of femtosecond laser pulses

In this work, we report the progressive formation of first nanoparticles, next fine ripples, and eventually coarse ripples during the irradiation of single-crystal 6H-SiC surfaces with increasing number of femtosecond laser pulses (λ = 515 nm, τ = 250 fs, repetition rate = 100 kHz). At laser fluences greater than the single-pulse ablation threshold, nanoparticles were produced on the surface by the first few pulses over which fine ripple patterns overlapped at increased pulse numbers. As the pulse number was further increased over ten, the surface was gradually transformed into a coarse ripple–covered one. At laser fluence below the threshold, however, only fine ripples were formed nonuniformly.     

Fabrication of 550 nm gratings in fused silica by laser induced backside wet etching technique

A series of 550 nm spacing gratings were fabricated in fused silica by laser induced backside wet etching (LIBWE) method using the fourth harmonic of a Q-switched Nd:YAG laser (wavelength: λ = 266 nm; pulse duration: FWHM = 10 ns). During these experiments we used a traditional two-beam interference method: the spatially filtered laser beam was split into two parts, which were interfered at a certain incident angle (2θ = 28°) on the backside surface of the fused silica plate contacting with the liquid absorber (saturated solution of naphthalene-methyl-methacrylate c = 1.85 mol/dm³). We studied the dependence of the quality and the modulation depth of the prepared gratings on the applied laser fluence and the number of laser pulses. The surface of the etched gratings was characterized by atomic force microscope (AFM). The maximum modulation depth was found to be 180-200 nm. Our results proved that the LIBWE procedure is suitable for production of submicrometer sized structures in transparent materials.     

Optical properties of zinc phthalocyanine thin films prepared by pulsed laser deposition

ZnPc thin films were prepared by pulsed laser deposition (KrF laser, λ = 248 nm, τ = 5 ns, f = 50 Hz) on suprasil substrates in vacuum. Optical properties in UV–Vis spectral region were analyzed as functions of laser fluence from 40 to 100 mJ/cm² by spectrophotometric and spectral ellipsometry measurements. The spectral ellipsometry data were treated using a three-layer model (substrate, film, roughness). The best results of data fitting were obtained when Q band was characterized by two Lorentz oscillators, while two Gaussian oscillators were used for B and C band fitting. We derived the band gap using Tauc plot considering ZnPc a direct band gap semiconductor. The band gap values were found decreasing from 3.13 to 3.09 eV with increasing laser fluence, which might be related with formation of trapping sites at higher fluence.     

Femtosecond optical nonlinearity of Au nanoparticles under their excitation in nonresonant relative to surface plasmon conditions

Nonlinear optical response of Au island films to femtosecond laser pulses is studied in the vicinity but not exactly at the surface plasmon absorption peak (λ _spr = 560 nm). The third-order nonlinear optical susceptibility is shown to be Reχ ⁽³⁾ = +1.7 × 10^?7 esu and Reχ ⁽³⁾ = +1 × 10^?7 esu at the wavelengths 800 and 460 nm, respectively. Kinetics of the optical nonlinear response has been studied for wavelengths 400 and 800 nm. It is believed that the origin of nonlinearity at the wavelengths is related to the free-electron heating in the conduction band and their further thermalization via electron–electron scattering, but at 400 nm the contribution to the nonlinear susceptibility because of interband d → s, p transitions is also possible.