Sapphire surface patterning using femtosecond laser micromachining

This study presents an alternative method for micron-resolution patterning of a sapphire surface utilizing the characteristic of an ultra-short pulse (10^?15 s) from ytterbium (Yb) femtosecond laser (FS-laser) irradiation. Conventional processes often involve several steps, such as wet chemical or dry etching, for surface structuring of sapphire. In this study, two-dimensional array patterns on the sapphire surface with an area of 5×5 mm² and a depth of 1.2±0.1 μm can be directly and easily fabricated by a single step of the FS-laser process, which involves 350-fs laser pulses with a wavelength of 517 nm at a repetition rate of 100 kHz. The measured ablation depths on the sapphire surface display that the proposed process can be under well-controlled conditions. Based on the design changes for being quickly implemented in the micromachining process, a FS laser can be a promising and competitive tool for patterning sapphire with an acceptable quality for industrial usage.     

Continuous wave laser wavelength measurement using the travelling Michelson interferometer

The general design, operating principles, and accuracy limitations of cw laser wavemeters based on the Michelson interferometer are discussed. Device construction and operating practicalities are illustrated by reference to an automatic system built to monitor the wavelength of a Coherent 599-21 single-mode dye laser.     

Effect of polarization on femtosecond pulsed laser ablation of surface relief gratings using a novel interferometer

In this paper, we report the effects of polarization state of individual beams in ablation of surface relief gratings using a two-beam interferometric technique. We have carried out ablation experiments on (1 1 1) silicon to form surface relief gratings by interfering two femtosecond laser beams under different polarization combinations. Four combinations of polarization were studied, i.e., s-: s-polarization, s-: p-polarization, p-: p-polarization and circular-: circular-polarization (c-: c-polarization). A novel interferometer was used for the investigation. The grating depths, surface roughness and ablation thresholds have been shown to depend on the polarization state of the interfering beams.     

Direct patterning of microelectrode arrays using femtosecond laser micromachining

Micron-resolution microelectrodes and microelectrode arrays are commonly used in Lab-on-a-chip applications, typically for particle and fluidic sensing or pumping applications. The common method of fabricating such structures is to use conventional photolithography, which involves several steps, any of which can affect the quality and dimension of the final structure. Here we present an alternative method of creating microelectrodes using direct laser patterning. This is a significantly simpler and faster fabrication route requiring a single patterning step, and which also allows design changes to be implemented quickly, without having to re-manufacture a photolithographic mask. To confirm the suitability of this approach to fabricating microelectrodes, a complex multielectrode array design for neuron stimulation was directly laser-patterned.     

Sub-micron scale patterning using femtosecond laser and self-assembled monolayers interaction

Standard positive photoresist techniques were adapted to generate sub-micron scale patterns of gold substrate using self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) and femtosecond laser. Self-assembled monolayers formed by the adsorption of alkanethiols onto gold substrate are employed as very thin photoresists. The process underlying photopatterning of SAMs on gold is well-known at the phenomenological level. Alkanethiolates formed by the adsorption of alkanethiols are oxidized on exposure to UV light in the presence of air to alkylsulfonates. Specifically, it is known that deep UV light of wavelength less than 200 nm is necessary for oxidation to occur. In this study, solid state femtosecond laser of wavelength 800 nm is applied for photolithography. The results show that ultrafast laser of near infrared (NIR) range wavelength can replace deep UV laser source for photopatterning using thin organic films. The essential basis of our approach is the photochemical excitation of specific reactions in a particular functional group (in this case a thiolate sulfur atom) distributed with monolayer coverage on a solid surface. Femtosecond laser photolithography could be applied to fabricate the patterning of surface chemical structure and the creation of three-dimensional nanostructures by combination with suitable etching methods.     

A Michelson interferometer using electron waves

An electron interferometer of the Michelson type is realized. Monoenergetic 25 keV electrons emitted from a line source 1000 Å in width are deflected by 90 ° in a magnetic Castaing prism and reflected on two mirrorsM ₁ andM ₂ held at a potential ΔU _m negative with respect to the cathode. In the experiment the mirrors are represented by height differences on the surface of an silvered glass plate. The reflected electrons are once more deflected by the magnetic prism behind which the coherent partial beams 1 and 2 reflected on the mirrorsM ₁ andM ₂, respectively, are superimposed using an electrostatic biprism to form two-beam interferences. The observed fringe shift indicates a phase shift due to differences in height between the equipotentials reflecting the partial beams 1 and 2. It is estimated that path differences less than the electron wavelength of 0.08 Å can be observed.     

Laser writing techniques for photomask fabrication using a femtosecond laser

Photomasks are the backbone of microfabrication industries. Currently they are fabricated by a lithographic process, which is very expensive and time consuming since it is a multi-step process. These issues can be addressed by fabricating photomasks by direct femtosecond laser writing, which is a single-step process and comparatively cheaper and faster than lithography. In this paper we discuss our investigations on the effect of two types of laser writing techniques, namely front- and rear-side laser writing, with regard to the feature size and the edge quality of a feature. It is proved conclusively that for the patterning of masks, front-side laser writing is a better technique than rear-side laser writing with regard to smaller feature size and better edge quality. Moreover the energy required for front-side laser writing is considerably lower than that for rear-side laser writing. Received: 22 May 2001 / Accepted: 14 September 2001 / Published online: 17 October 2001     

Atom Michelson interferometer on a chip using a Bose-Einstein condensate

An atom Michelson interferometer is implemented on an "atom chip." The chip uses lithographically patterned conductors and external magnetic fields to produce and guide a Bose-Einstein condensate. Splitting, reflecting, and recombining of condensate atoms are achieved by a standing-wave light field having a wave vector aligned along the atom waveguide. A differential phase shift between the two arms of the interferometer is introduced by either a magnetic-field gradient or with an initial condensate velocity. Interference contrast is still observable at 20% with an atom propagation time of 10 ms.     

Cross patterning on MgO based on dislocations using femtosecond laser irradiation

We show a unique technique to form dense dislocations locally inside a MgO single crystal with a rock-salt type structure using femtosecond (fs) laser irradiation. Cross-shaped patterns of micrometer size, originating from densely introduced dislocations, are formed spontaneously around the focal point. We controlled the three-dimensional propagation of the dislocations by adjusting the pulse energy of the fs laser and NA of objective lens. The technique may open up a new field of dislocation technology for optical applications.     

基于迈克耳孙干涉仪的激光多普勒实验仪及其实验

通过对迈克耳孙干涉仪动镜的改装和机械加工,设计了激光多普勒效应实验装置.使用该装置可以监测弱振动,测量谐振动的振幅、扬声器的灵敏性能常量,也可以测量低速运动物体的运动速度.通过示波器观察光拍现象,可以帮助学生更好地理解多普勒效应,了解激光多普勒效应的应用.     

Gravitational wave detection using dual input Michelson interferometer

We propose a new scheme for interferometric gravitational wave detection using a dual input Michelson interferometer. The scheme allows us to put a phase modulator outside the interferometer without requiring arm-length unbalance. Moreover, the scheme can realize sub-shot-noise sensitivity using an amplitude squeezed state of light as one of the dual inputs.     

Scanning Michelson interferometer for imaging surface acoustic wave fields

A scanning homodyne Michelson interferometer is constructed for two-dimensional imaging of high-frequency surface acoustic wave (SAW) fields in SAW devices. The interferometer possesses a sensitivity of ~10(-5)nm/ radicalHz , and it is capable of directly measuring SAW's with frequencies ranging from 0.5 MHz up to 1 GHz. The fast scheme used for locating the optimum operation point of the interferometer facilitates high measuring speeds, up to 50,000 points/h. The measured field image has a lateral resolution of better than 1 mu;m . The fully optical noninvasive scanning system can be applied to SAW device development and research, providing information on acoustic wave distribution that cannot be obtained by merely electrical measurements.     

Miniaturized fiber inline Fabry-Perot interferometer fabricated with a femtosecond laser

We report a miniaturized inline Fabry-Perot interferometer directly fabricated on a single-mode optical fiber with a femtosecond laser. The device had a loss of 16 dB and an interference visibility exceeding 14 dB. The device was tested and survived in high temperatures up to 1100 degrees C. With an accessible cavity and all-glass structure, the new device is attractive for sensing applications in high-temperature harsh environments.     

Double-grating interferometer with a one-to-one correspondence with a Michelson interferometer

We describe a double-grating interferometer that has a one-to-one correspondence with a Michelson interferometer. The half spatial periods of the gratings are equivalent to the wavelengths of the interferometer. The widths of the interference fringes can be changed easily. The intensity distribution of the interference pattern is independent of the wavelength of the light source used. The surface profile of an object can be measured because two interference beams can coincide precisely on the image plane of the object. The measuring range is much larger than that of a Michelson interferometer.     

Experimental and numerical study of surface alloying by femtosecond laser radiation

Here we report on experimental studies of femtosecond laser induced surface metal alloying. We demonstrate that layers of different metals can be mixed in a certain range of laser pulse energies. Numeric simulations demonstrate that the sub-surface melting and mixing is advantaged through the difference in the electron-phonon coupling constants of the metals in the multi-layer system. Dependence of the depth of the mixed layer on the number of laser pulses per unit area is studied. Numeric simulations illustrate physical picture of the laser alloying process.     

利用等厚干涉条纹测量微光的调制传递函数MTF

通过对微光的调制传递函数 (MTF)的讨论 ,结合传统的“分辨率板法” ,提出了一种新的测量微光的MTF的方法。该方法直接从MTF的物理含义出发 ,利用迈克尔逊干涉仪产生一系列空间频率的等厚干涉条纹来模拟分辨率板的作用 ,在计算机的控制下 ,自动测量出连续的MTF曲线。给出的实验光路和实验结果表明 ,利用干涉条纹测量微光的MTF是一种可行的简便方法 ,在计算机的控制下 ,可快速完成夜视仪的传递函数测量     

Bragg grating recording in low-defect optical fibers using ultraviolet femtosecond radiation and a double-phase mask interferometer

The fabrication of Bragg reflectors in fluorine depressed cladding silicate glass and SMF-28 fibers by employing a double-phase mask interferometer and 248 nm, 500 fs laser radiation is demonstrated here. The maximum refractive index changes obtained were of the order of 6 x 10(-4) for pulse intensities of 220 GW/cm(2) and accumulated energy densities of 3.5 kJ/cm(2). The Bragg gratings fabricated in the F-doped fiber endured temperatures greater than 700 degrees C, while those inscribed in the standard telecom fiber demarcated at 900 degrees C. The experimental results presented depict that the combination of the two phase mask interferometer and the 248 nm photon at sub-TW/cm(2) intensities constitute an efficient route in the fabrication of Bragg gratings in low-defect silicate glass optical fibers.     

Surface treatment of CFRP composites using femtosecond laser radiation

In the present work, we investigate the surface treatment of carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) composites by laser ablation with femtosecond laser radiation. For this purpose, unidirectional carbon fiber-reinforced epoxy matrix composites were treated with femtosecond laser pulses of 1024 nm wavelength and 550 fs duration. Laser tracks were inscribed on the material surface using pulse energies and scanning speeds in the range 0.1–0.5 mJ and 0.1–5 mm/s, respectively. The morphology of the laser treated surfaces was investigated by field emission scanning electron microscopy. We show that, by using the appropriate processing parameters, a selective removal of the epoxy resin can be achieved, leaving the carbon fibers exposed. In addition, sub-micron laser induced periodic surface structures (LIPSS) are created on the carbon fibers surface, which may be potentially beneficial for the improvement of the fiber to matrix adhesion in adhesive bonds between CFRP parts.     

Preliminary result of bunch length measurement using a modified Michelson interferometer

Based on the femtosecond accelerator device which was built at the Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics (SINAP), recently a modified far infrared Michelson interferometer has been developed to measure the length of electron bunches via the optical autocorrelation method.Compared with our former normal Michelson interferometer, we use a hollow retroreflector instead of a flat mirror as the reflective mirror.The experimental setup and results of the bunch length measurement will be described in this paper.     

Preliminary result of bunch length measurement using a modified Michelson interferometer

Based on the femtosecond accelerator device which was built at the Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics （SINAP）, recently a modified far infrared Michelson interferometer has been developed to measure the length of electron bunches via the optical autocorrelation method. Compared with our former normal Michelson interferometer, we use a hollow retroreflector instead of a flat mirror as the reflective mirror. The experimental setup and results of the bunch length measurement will be described in this paper.