Rapid microfabrication of transparent materials using filamented femtosecond laser pulses

Microfabrication of transparent materials using femtosecond laser pulses has showed good potential towards industrial application. Maintaining pulse energies exceeding the critical self-focusing threshold by more than 100-fold produced filaments that were used for micromachining purposes. This article demonstrates two different micromachining techniques using femtosecond filaments generated in different transparent media (water and glass). The stated micromachining techniques are cutting and welding of transparent samples. In addition, cutting and drilling experiments were backed by theoretical modelling giving a deeper insight into the whole process. We demonstrate cut-out holes in soda-lime glass having thickness up to 1 mm and aspect ratios close to 20, moreover, the fabrication time is of the order of tens of seconds, in addition, grooves and holes were fabricated in hardened 1.1 mm thick glass (Corning $^\circledR$ Gorilla $^\circledR$ glass). Glass welding was made possible and welded samples were achieved after several seconds of laser fabrication.     

Systematic study of spatiotemporal dynamics of intense femtosecond laser pulses in BK-7 glass

In this paper we present a systematic study of the spatial and temporal effects of intense femtosecond laser pulses in BK-7 over a broad range of input powers, 1–1000 times the critical power for self-focusing (P _cr) by numerically solving the nonlinear Schrödinger equation (NLS). Most numerical studies have not been extended to such high powers. A clear-cut classification of spatio-temporal dynamics up to very high powers into three regimes — the group-velocity dispersion (GVD) regime, the ionization regime and the dominant plasma regime — as done here, is a significant step towards a better understanding. Further, we examine in detail the role of GVD in channel formation by comparing BK-7 to an ‘artificial’ medium. Our investigations bring forth the important observation that diffraction plays a minimal role in the formation of multiple cones and that plasma plays a diffraction-like role at very high powers. A detailed study of the spatio-temporal dynamics in any condensed medium over this range of powers has not been reported hitherto, to the best of our knowledge. We also suggest appropriate operational powers for various applications employing BK-7 on the basis of our results.     

超短脉冲强激光在空气中的传输

超短脉冲强激光在空气中传输时由于非线性克尔自聚焦效应会使激光光束聚焦，造成空气的离化而形成等离子体，等离子体对激光光束又会产生散焦作用，这两种过程的动态平衡可以形成很长的等离子体通道，从而产生一系列复杂而有趣的现象．文章对通道形成的机理、锥角辐射、超连续谱和三次谐波的产生进行了阐述，并介绍了目前等离子体通道形成的几种理论模型．文章还对通道内的各种复合和辐射机制进行了分析．     

Processing of transparent materials using visible nanosecond laser pulses

Laser micromachining of transparent materials is an intensively studied research area from the point of view of microoptical element fabrication. One of the most promising indirect processing methods is the laser-induced back-side dry etching (LIBDE). During this method, transparent targets are contacted with solid thin layers, which absorb and transform the pulse energy resulting in etching. The applicability of LIBDE technology for processing of fused silica using a visible nanosecond dye laser (λ=500 nm, FWHM=11 ns) and a 100-nm-thick aluminium absorbing layer was investigated. The applied fluence was varied in the range of 0–3050 mJ/cm²; the illuminated area was 0.1 mm². The threshold fluence of the LIBDE etching of fused silica was found to be approximately 540 mJ/cm². The chemical composition of the surface layers on and around the etched holes was investigated by field-emission scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometry. It was found that on average 0.4±0.3 at. % aluminium is built into the upper ∼1-μm-thick volume of the illuminated fused silica, while the aluminium content fell below the detection limit in the case of the original surface. Our experiments proved that the LIBDE procedure is suitable for microprocessing of transparent materials using visible nanosecond laser light. PACS 42.62.-b; 61.80.Ba; 81.16.Rf; 81.65.Cf     

Multiple filamentation of intense femtosecond laser pulses in air

The propagation of focused femtosecond laser pulses with supercritical peak powers in air has been investigated by the methods of optical visualization, profilometry, and calorimetry. Laser pulses with supercritical powers create a bundle of submillimeter filaments with a diameter of about 5 μm ahead of the lens focus; the maximum number of filaments in the beam cross section and their length increase linearly and sublinearly, respectively, with the radiation peak power. The optical visualization and calorimetry indicate that the plasma channels of filaments are optical contrast (a plasma density of 10¹⁸–10¹⁹ cm⁻³), ensuring the refraction of laser radiation incident on them.     

Spectral distributions of harmonic generation from electron oscillation driven by intense femtosecond laser pulses

The characteristics of harmonic radiation due to electron oscillation driven by an intense femtosecond laser pulse are analyzed considering a single electron model. An interesting modulated structure of the spectrum is observed and analyzed for different polarization. Higher order harmonic radiations are possible for a sufficiently intense driving laser pulse. We have shown that for a realistic pulsed photon beam, the spectrum of the radiation is red shifted as well as broadened because of changes in the longitudinal velocity of the electrons during the laser pulse. These effects are more pronounced at higher laser intensities giving rise to higher order harmonics that eventually leads to a continuous spectrum. Numerical simulations have further shown that by increasing the laser pulse width broadening of the high harmonic radiations can be limited.     

Third-harmonic generation and self-channeling in air using high-power femtosecond laser pulses

It is shown, both theoretically and experimentally, that during laser pulse filamentation in air an intense ultrashort third-harmonic pulse is generated forming a two-colored filament. The third-harmonic pulse maintains both its peak intensity and energy over distances much longer than the characteristic coherence length. We argue that this is due to a nonlinear phase-locking mechanism between the two pulses in the filament and is independent of the initial material wave-vector mismatch. A rich spatiotemporal propagation dynamics of the third-harmonic pulse is predicted. Potential applications of this phenomenon to other parametric processes are discussed.     

Broadband supercontinuum generation in air using tightly focused femtosecond laser pulses

Supercontinuum generation in air using tightly focused femtosecond laser pulses was investigated experimentally. Broadband white-light emission covering the whole visible spectral region was generated. Spectral broadening extended only to the blue side of the fundamental frequency due to the phase modulation induced by the strong ionization of air. Numerical simulation was also performed to confirm the spectral broadening mechanism. A constant UV cutoff wavelength close to 400 nm was observed in the supercontinuum spectrum. This phenomenon indicated that intensity clamping still plays a role in tight focusing geometry.     

Fabrication of surface relief gratings on transparent dielectric materials by two-beam holographic method using infrared femtosecond laser pulses

Fabrication of surface relief-type gratings in transparent dielectrics, which are hard to machine, has been achieved by a holographic technique using two infrared femtosecond (fs) pulses from a mode-locked Ti:sapphire laser. The present method can be applied for a variety of transparent dielectrics, Al₂O₃ (sapphire), TiO₂, ZrO₂, LiNbO₃, SiC, ZnO, CdF₂, MgO, CaF₂ crystals, and SiO₂ glass. It is found that the grating formation is due primarily to laser ablation processes. Planar surface relief gratings can be fabricated by colliding two fs laser pulses on the surface of substrates which move at a constant speed, synchronized with the laser repetition rate. Received: 1 March 2000 / Published online: 7 June 2000     

Generation of intense highly coherent femtosecond pulses in the mid infrared

Highly coherent mid-infrared femtosecond pulses, tunable between 2.5 and 4.4 mum, and with an average energy and duration between 2.6 and 3.6 microm of 11 microJ and 200fs, respectively, have been produced by an optical parametric amplifier setup driven at 1kHz by a 400- microJ , 800-nm pulse from a Ti:sapphire amplifier. In this system, first tunable moderate-energy femtosecond pulses in the near infrared are produced by continuum amplification in beta -barium borate, and subsequently the near-infrared pulses are amplified and frequency mixed with 800-nm radiation in potassium titanyl phosphate to produce intense tunable mid-infrared pulses. The time-bandwidth product of the mid-infrared pulses is 0.28+/-0.02 over the whole high-energy tuning range. Experimental results are compared with numerical simulations and a simple model.     

Excited ions in intense femtosecond laser pulses: laser-induced recombination

Electron-ion recombination in a laser-induced electron recollision is of fundamental importance as the underlying mechanism responsible for the generation of high-harmonic radiation and hence for the production of attosecond pulse trains in the extreme ultraviolet and soft x-ray spectral regions. By using an ion beam target, remotely prepared to be partially in long-lived excited states, the recombination process has for the first time been directly observed and studied.     

Broadband coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering light generation in BBO crystal by using two crossing femtosecond laser pulses

As broad as 12000 cm(-1) coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) light from ultraviolet to infrared was generated in a BBO crystal by using two crossing femtosecond laser pulses with 30% conversion efficiency. More than fifteenth-order anti-Stokes and second-order Stokes Raman sidebands were observed with nice Gaussian spatial mode. The effect of the crossing angle between two input beams on the spectrum and emitting angle of the Raman sidebands was studied in detail. Calculation shows that the phase-matching condition determines the frequencies and angles of the sidebands.     

Broadband coherent light generation in a Raman-active crystal driven by two-color femtosecond laser pulses

We demonstrate broadband light generation by focusing two-color ultrashort laser pulses into a Raman-active crystal, lead tungstate (PbWO(4)). As many as 20 anti-Stokes and 2 Stokes fields are generated due to strong near-resonant excitation of a Raman transition. The generated spectrum extends from the infrared, through the visible region, to the ultraviolet, and it consists of discrete spatially separated sidebands. Our measurements confirm good mutual spatial and temporal coherence among the generated fields and open possibilities for synthesis of subfemtosecond light waveforms.     

Quantum control by selective population of dressed states using intense chirped femtosecond laser pulses

The physical mechanism of strong field quantum control using chirped femtosecond laser pulses is investigated. Dressed state control is exerted by making explicit use of the temporal phase changes of the pulse. In our experiment, the dressed state population is mapped by photoelectron spectra from simultaneous excitation and ionization of potassium atoms as a function of the chirp parameter. We show that chirped pulses can be used to selectively steer ground state atoms temporarily into a single dressed state realizing transient Selective Population of Dressed States (SPODS). PACS 32.80.Qk; 32.80.Rm; 33.80.Rv     

Three-dimensional second-harmonic generation imaging with femtosecond laser pulses

A three-dimensional reflectance scanning optical microscope based on the nonlinear optical phenomenon of second-harmonic generation is presented. A mode-locked Ti:sapphire laser producing <90-fs pulses at ~790nm was used, and the images were constructed by scanning of an object, which possessed local second-order nonlinearity, relative to a focused spot from the laser. The second-harmonic light at ~395nm generated by the specimen was separated from the fundamental beam by use of dichroic and interference filters and was detected by a photodiode. The technique was then used to characterize the distribution of second-order nonlinearity and microstructure of the nonlinear material lithium triborate.     

Determination of nonlinear optical characteristics of transparent materials using single laser pulses

A new method of express analysis of nonlinear optical properties of materials by determining their nonlinear refraction and nonlinear absorption upon irradiation by a single laser pulse is proposed. The nonlinear optical characteristics of media are determined based on an analysis of variations in the spatial distribution of radiation focused by a cylindrical lens and passed through the medium. The method proposed is tested by the example of optical nonlinearities of CS₂.     

Guiding of intense laser pulses in plasma waveguides produced from efficient, femtosecond end-pumped heating of clustered gases

We demonstrate intense pulse guiding in efficient femtosecond end-pumped waveguides generated in clustered gases. This novel scheme provides a route to significantly lower on-axis plasma density (< 10(18) cm(-3)) more than is feasible in conventional hydrodynamic plasma waveguides. Self-focused propagation and strong absorption of intense femtosecond laser pulses are used to produce long centimeter scale channels in an argon cluster jet, and a subsequent pulse is guided with 3 x 10(17) W cm(-2) intensity and approximately 50% coupling efficiency. Preliminary results with hydrogen clusters also show guiding.