Nanosecond and femtosecond ablation of La0.6Ca0.4CoO3: a comparison between plume dynamics and composition of the films

Thin films of La_0.6Ca_0.4CoO₃ were grown by pulsed laser ablation with nanosecond and femtosecond pulses. The films deposited with femtosecond pulses (248 nm, 500 fs pulse duration) exhibit a higher surface roughness and deficiency in the cobalt content compared to the films deposited with nanosecond pulses (248 nm, 20 ns pulse duration). The origin of these pronounced differences between the films grown by ns and fs ablation has been studied in detail by time-resolved optical emission spectroscopy and imaging. The plumes generated by nanosecond and femtosecond ablation were analyzed in vacuum and in a background pressure of 60 Pa of oxygen. The ns-induced plume in vacuum exhibits a spherical shape, while for femtosecond ablation the plume is more elongated along the expansion direction, but with similar velocities for ns and fs laser ablation. In the case of ablation in the background gas similar velocities of the plume species are observed for fs and ns laser ablation. The different film compositions are therefore not related to different kinetic energies and different distributions of various species in the plasma plume which has been identified as the origin of the deficiency of species for other materials.     

Measurement of ultrashort laser pulses using single-crystal films of 4-aminobenzophenone

Single-crystal thin-film of an organic second-order nonlinear optical material, 4-aminobenzophenone (ABP), is used to measure the pulsewidth of a Ti-Sapphire laser producing 45 fs pulses at 1 kHz repetition rate, by the non-collinear second-harmonic generation (SHG) intensity autocorrelation technique. These films are suitable for measurements over a broad wavelength range, down to 780 nm, due to their wide optical transparency. The single-crystal film with thickness (3 μm) less than the coherence length requires no phase-matching for efficient broadband SHG. Pulse walk-off due to group-velocity mismatch (GVM) and temporal broadening of the pulses due to group-velocity dispersion (GVD) are found to be negligible. These effects have been estimated for pulse width down to few-cycle pulses (10 fs), and the analyses show that these films can be used to characterize such ultrashort optical pulses.     

Generation of femtosecond vacuum-ultraviolet pulses

High power femtosecond pulses in the Vacuum Ultra Violet (VUV) have been generated through the nonlinear interaction of femtosecond KrF pulses with xenon and argon gas. Under near resonant two photon excitation of xenon by a femtosecond KrF laser, parametric four wave mixing processes lead to VUV pulses at 147 and 108 nm with pulse energies in the 10 µJ range. Tuning is demonstrated by mixing the KrF pulse with a 500 fs dye laser pulse at 497 nm, resulting in 165 nm emission. In argon, a three photon resonance leads to third harmonic generation at 83 nm and micro joule level pulses near 127 nm generated by a six wave mixing process. Since the spectra of the VUV pulses show an ionization-induced blue shift with increasing KrF laser intensity, the VUV pulses can be shown to have temporal duration less than the pulse width (450 fs) of the KrF laser. Blue shifting of the third harmonic of the KrF laser in argon is dominated by a reduction in the neutral gas density rather than by an increase in the electron density.     

Parametric study on femtosecond laser pulse ablation of Au films

Ablation process of 1 kHz rate femtosecond lasers (pulse duration 148 fs, wavelength 775 nm) with Au films on silica substrates has been systemically studied. The single-pulse threshold can be obtained directly. For the multiple pulses the ablation threshold varies with the number of pulses applied to the surface due to the incubation effect. From the plot of accumulated laser fluence N × ?_th(N) and the number of laser pulses N, incubation coefficient of Au film can be obtained (s = 0.765). As the pulse energy is increased, the single pulse ablation rate is increasing following two ablation logarithmic regimes, which can be explained by previous research.     

The formation of different structures in the interaction between a single femtosecond laser pulse and a thin Au film

The interactions between femtosecond (fs) laser pulses and a thin Au film deposited on a silica glass substrate were systematically investigated based on experimental data. Different structures, including microholes, nanoholes, and nanobumps, are obtained when pulses with different energies are incident on the surface of a gold film. The experimental results are discussed according to specific experimental parameters. Two physical models were constructed in order to explain the experimental results. The formation of nanoholes in a silica substrate is attributed to etching by higher order harmonic generations (HHG) when the femtosecond laser pulse interacts with the generated plasma layer, while the formation of nanobumps on the surface of an Au film is attributed to the elastic and plastic characteristics of the metal film under laser pulse irradiation.     

Control of electrical resistance of TiO2 films by short-pulse laser irradiation

Titanium dioxide (TiO₂) films were irradiated with a femtosecond laser beam to alter their electrical resistances. The TiO₂ film was produced by aerosol beam deposition. The wavelength, pulse duration, and repetition rate of the femtosecond laser scanned across the sample surface were 800 nm, 100 fs, and 1 kHz, respectively. By attenuating the laser fluence on the TiO₂ film, a range was found in which the electrical resistance of the TiO₂ film was varied even though the morphology of the film surface was not changed.     

利用三色组合脉冲激光获得孤立阿秒脉冲发射

孤立阿秒脉冲因可以跟踪和控制原子及分子内电子的运动过程而备受关注.本文从理论上开展了氦原子在3束飞秒脉冲激光组合场辐照下产生的高次谐波和阿秒脉冲辐射的研究.组合激光场由16 fs/1600 nm,15 fs/1100 nm和5.3 fs/800 nm的钛宝石脉冲构成.与前两束脉冲合成的双色场产生谐波谱相比,附加钛宝石脉冲的三色场产生的高次谐波发射谱呈现出高转换效率及宽带超连续特性,超连续谱范围覆盖从230—690次谐波,傅里叶变换后实现了128 as高强度孤立短脉冲的产生.该结果归因于合成的三色场呈现出高功率及少周期的中红外飞秒脉冲激光特性,可以有效控制原子电离以及复合发生在中红外飞秒脉冲的一个有效光学周期内.     

Femtosecond pulsed laser ablation of thin gold film

Laser micromachining on 1000 nm-thick gold film using femtosecond laser has been studied. The laser pulses that are used for this study are 400 nm in central wavelength, 150 fs in pulse duration, and the repetition rate is 1 kHz. Plano-concave lens with a focal length of 19 mm focuses the laser beam into a spot of 3 μm (1/e² diameter). The sample was translated at a linear speed of 400 μm/s during machining. Grooves were cut on gold thin film with laser pulses of various energies. The ablation depths were measured and plotted. There are two ablation regimes. In the first regime, the cutting is very shallow and the edges are free of molten material. While in the second regime, molten material appears and the cutting edges are contaminated. The results suggest that clean and precise microstructuring can be achieved with femtosecond pulsed laser by controlling the pulse energy in the first ablation regime.     

Subpicosecond excimer laser ablation of thick gold films of ultra-fine particles generated by a gas deposition technique

The results of UV laser ablation of gold nanoparticle films on glass substrates using femtosecond pulses are presented. Films of ultra-fine gold particles were prepared by an inert gas evaporation and deposition technique, resulting in a well-defined log-normal particle size distribution of (7ǃ) nm. The pulse length of the laser was 500 fs at a wavelength of 248 nm. Ablation thresholds, ablation rates at different fluxes, and the morphology of the ablated structures are presented. For the nanoparticle films studied an ablation rate five times higher than that of gold films prepared by the conventional evaporation technique was found. The ablation thresholds and rates are supposed to depend on the particle size and also on the evaporation pressure. These results are explained by taking into account the energy transport properties of nanocrystalline and conventionally evaporated gold films.     

Frequency selection of supercontinuum ultrashort pulses using a Fresnel zone plate

We propose focusing by a Fresnel zone plate into a pinhole as a cost-efficient, rugged component for wavelength selection in femtosecond pulses. We show measurements of the frequency selectivity of a Fresnel zone plate for an ultra-broadband supercontinuum pulse. We verify that our zone plate does not considerably stretch the 65 fs laser pulses in time.     

飞秒光脉冲光纤放大增益特性的实验研究

报道了掺Ｅｒ＾３＋光纤激光器输出１．５３１μｍ波长飞秒激光脉冲增益放大的实验研究结果,将自起振相加脉冲摹参Ｅｒ＾３＋光纤激光器输出的飞秒激光脉冲注入掺Ｅｒ＾３＋光纤放大器中进行放大,分别采用正向和逆向抽地这的方式,得到了最高放大倍数５５倍（１７．４ｄＢ）和６４倍（１８．１ｄＢ）的增益,对应的最大单脉冲能量（峰值功率）分别为０．３８４ｎＪ（７５２Ｗ）０．４５２ｎＪ（１２９５Ｗ）,脉冲重复率为２０．８     

Femtosecond oscillator on Yb:KYW crystal pumped by laser diode with fiber output

A femtosecond laser based on an Yb:KYW crystal with direct longitudinal pumping by a high-power semiconductor injection laser with a fiber output is described. Femtosecond pulses were generated in the self-longitudinal-mode-locking operating condition due to the use of a semiconductor saturable absorber. The average power of the oscillator was as high as 3.5 W at a central wavelength of 1035 nm, the pulse length and pulse repetition rate being 200 fs and 85.5 MHz, respectively. The product of the pulse length and the radiation spectrum width was 1.3 times higher than the theoretical limit for the pulse shape described by the function sech². The designed master oscillator can be also used as a stand-alone source of femtosecond radiation pulses for material microprocessing and primary source for femtosecond laser amplification systems.     

在固体透明材料中利用级联四波混频方法获得宽带多色飞秒激光脉冲的研究

飞秒激光光谱学实验研究的深入与拓展对飞秒激光脉冲的要求也越来越高.比如多色抽运探测实验需要同时用到多个不同频率的超短飞秒激光脉冲.本文设计了一个更加简单紧凑的实验装置,对两束不同中心频率的入射光引入相反啁啾,在厚度为0.5 mm的CaF2晶体中利用级联四波混频获得了光谱半高全宽近100nm,支持傅里叶转换极限脉宽小于10 fs的多色飞秒激光脉冲.这一结果将为拓展飞秒激光光谱学研究和应用发挥重要作用.     

Near-infrared cavity-dumped femtosecond optical parametric oscillator

We demonstrate a high-energy near-infrared cavity-dumped femtosecond optical parametric oscillator (OPO) based on periodically poled lithium niobate. The laser generates 90 nJ pulses at a repetition rate of up to 1 MHz when synchronously pumped by 800 mW output from a femtosecond Ti:sapphire laser. The laser is broadly tunable from 1.0 to 1.5 microm in the signal branch, with a pulse duration of < 60 fs at 1.2 microm. High intracavity power is achieved by running the laser in the regime of positive group-velocity dispersion.     

Thermal character in organic polymers with nanojoule femtosecond laser ablation

Ablation experiments with femtosecond (fs) laser pulse (pulse duration 37 fs, wavelength 800 nm) on organic polymers have been performed in air. The ablation threshold is found to be only several nanojoules. The diameters of the dots ablated in the organic polymers are influenced by the laser fluence and the number of laser pulses. It is observed that heat is diffused in a threadlike manner in all directions around the central focus region.Explanations of the observed phenomena are presented. A one-dimensional waveguide is also ablated in the organic polymers.     

飞秒强激光经氩气和氩团簇的传播

通过数值求解三维电场传播方程,理论模拟了飞秒强激光脉冲（50 fs,1016 w/cm2）在氩气和中等尺寸氩团簇中的传播效应.结果表明,飞秒强激光脉冲经氩气传播将发生频谱蓝移展宽和光束发散;而经中等尺寸氩团簇传播,则存在一定程度的自聚焦效应.     

输出能量4mJ的1kHz飞秒掺钛蓝宝石激光再生放大研究

针对高能量千赫兹重复频率飞秒激光的应用需求,设计了一套采用线性再生腔结构的高效率飞秒钛宝石激光啁啾脉冲放大系统.通过优化腔型设计,在重复频率为1 kHz、单脉冲能量为20 mJ的527 nm激光抽运下,将展宽后的800 nm啁啾脉冲激光的能量放大到5.8 mJ,对应斜效率达到30.7%.进一步通过色散补偿压缩脉冲宽度,获得了单脉冲能量为4 mJ、脉冲宽度为45.7 fs的输出,稳定性测量表明激光的能量抖动仅为0.18%(均方根值).     

135 W average-power femtosecond pulses at 520 nm from a frequency-doubled fiber laser system

We present a high-average-power femtosecond laser system at 520 nm central wavelength. The laser system delivers sub-500 fs pulses with 135 W average power at a pulse repetition rate of 5.25 MHz. Excellent beam quality is provided by high power fiber amplifiers and maintained during frequency doubling, resulting in a beam quality factor of M2<1.2. To our knowledge, the system presented here is the highest average power green laser source generating femtosecond pulses with diffraction-limited beam quality.     

不同偏振飞秒激光经块状材料传输后的脉宽压缩

实验研究了线偏振和圆偏振状态下的飞秒强激光脉冲在块状材料中的传输过程。不同偏振的激光脉冲在传输过程中得到了不同程度的光谱展宽,经色散补偿后,脉冲时域宽度均得到了压缩。详细分析了压缩脉冲的脉宽以及啁啾情况与入射激光脉冲能量之间的关系,比较了飞秒激光在线偏振及圆偏振情况下的不同压缩效果。在线偏振入射光情况下得到了最短21fs的压缩脉冲宽度,在圆偏振情况下得到的最短脉冲宽度为22fs。实验结果表明,这种光谱展宽与色散补偿方式对圆偏振光同样适用,而且圆偏振的入射激光将更有利于对更高能量的脉冲进行压缩。在色散补偿量相同的情况下,压缩效果随入射脉冲能量变化的规律符合理论估计。     

The growth of nanoscale periodic and dot-like structures on the surface of stainless steel with femtosecond laser pulses in the dry and wet ambient environment

The present work deals with growth of nanoscale periodic and dot-like structures on the surface of stainless steel (SS) by the irradiation of femtosecond laser pulses. For this purpose Ti: Sapphire femtosecond laser pulses (wavelength of 800 nm, pulse length of 25 fs and pulse repetition rate of 1 kHz) were employed in a dry (air) and liquid confined (deionized water and ethanol) environments. The targets were exposed to 1000 succeeding pulses for various fluences ranging from 50 to 150 mJ?cm^?2. Nanoscale structures including ripples, and dots were observed by SEM analysis. The growth and dependence of structure-formation on the ambient environment and laser fluence in both central as well as peripheral ablated areas is systematically investigated. The development of nanostructures and nanoripples is correlated with structural analysis carried out by micro Raman spectroscopy.