Deformation of ultra-short laser pulses by optical systems for laser scanners.

Current experiments of processing glass with ultra-short laser pulses (< 1 ps) lead to scan angle depending processing results. This scan angle depending effect is examined by simulations of a common focusing lens for laser scanners. Due to dispersion, focusing lenses may cause pulse deformations and increase the pulse duration in the focal region. If the field angle of the incoming laser beam is variable, the pulse deformation may also vary as a function of the field angle. By ray tracing as well as wave optical simulations we investigate pulse deformations of optical systems for different scan angles.

Beam shaping of laser diode radiation by waveguides with arbitrary cladding geometry written with fs-laser radiation.

Waveguides with arbitrary cross sections are written in the volume of Al(2)O(3)-crystals using tightly focused femtosecond laser radiation. Utilizing a scanning system with large numerical aperture, complex cladding geometries are realized with a precision around 0.5 µm and a scanning speed up to 100 mm/s. Individual beam and mode shaping of laser diode radiation is demonstrated by varying the design of the waveguide cladding. The influence of the writing parameters on the waveguide properties are investigated resulting in a numerical aperture of the waveguides in the range of 0.1. This direct laser writing technique enables optical devices which could possibly replace bulky beam shaping setups with an integrated solution.

Time dynamics of burst-train filamentation assisted femtosecond laser machining in glasses.

Bursts of femtosecond laser pulses with a repetition rate of f = 38.5MHz were created using a purpose-built optical resonator. Single Ti:Sapphire laser pulses, trapped inside a resonator and released into controllable burst profiles by computer generated trigger delays to a fast Pockels cell switch, drove filamentation-assisted laser machining of high aspect ratio holes deep into transparent glasses. The time dynamics of the hole formation and ablation plume physics on 2-ns to 400-ms time scales were examined in time-resolved side-view images recorded with an intensified-CCD camera during the laser machining process. Transient effects of photoluminescence and ablation plume emissions confirm the build-up of heat accumulation effects during the burst train, the formation of laser-generated filaments and plume-shielding effects inside the deeply etched vias. The small time interval between the pulses in the present burst train enabled a more gentle modification in the laser interaction volume that mitigated shock-induced microcracks compared with single pulses.

Micro- and nanostructures inside sapphire by fs-laser irradiation and selective etching.

The fabrication of microchannels and self-assembled nanostructures in the volume of sapphire was performed by femtosecond laser irradiation followed by chemical etching with aqueous solution of HF acid. Depending on the focusing conditions self-organized nanostructures or elliptical microchannels are produced. While the dimensions in two directions are on a micro- respectively nanoscale, feature lengths of up to 1 mm are achieved. This comes out to aspect ratios of more than 1000. This fabrication technique is potentially usable for photonic crystal based integrated optical elements or microfluidic devices for applications in life science, biology or chemistry.

Refractive index modification using fs-laser double pulses.

Buried waveguides in glass are manufactured by irradiation with femtosecond laser double pulses. The refractive index change Deltan is determined by measuring the numerical aperture NA of the waveguides and by through light microscopy. The value of Deltan shows a significant dependency on the time delay Deltat of the fs-laser double pulses. A Deltan of up to 2x10(-3) in fused silica is reached at a Deltat between 400 and 800 ps. Based on the results of the double pulse experiments the initial effects of the refractive index change are discussed, taking into account thermal effects and the formation of self trapped excitons (STE) and transient color centers and their interaction with the next laser pulse.