飞秒激光玻璃微加工技术

为了研究飞秒激光作用下光学玻璃内部发生的改性过程,利用重复频率为1kHz、中心波长为775am、脉宽为130fs的飞秒激光对光学玻璃进行微加工．结果表明,激光辐照区发生永久性折射率改变,并且玻璃的改性线宽随着激光功率的增加而增加,随激光扫描速度的降低而增加．根据飞秒激光致使光学玻璃发生改性的特点,利用飞秒激光在光学玻璃内部直接刻写了相位光栅和二维图案,研究了相位光栅的衍射特性．     

Wave packet engineering using a phase-programmable femtosecond optical source

Abstract

A new optical telecommunication method combining time and frequency domain multiplexing is proposed using phase-controlled femtosecond pulses. Each pulse in a pulse train can be used as a data packet with data bits in the frequency domain. We call the new principle ‘wave packet engineering’, which adjusts the amplitude and phase of the wave function in device materials arbitrarily by controlling the spectral phase of femtosecond pulses. The optical phase-to-amplitude converter is demonstrated with organic dye molecules, in which the phase information in the phase-modulated pulses can be demodulated into the luminescence intensity. The luminescence intensity from cyanine dye molecules is observed to be chirp dependent, and is explained quantum mechanically in terms of coherent population transfer. The design principle of the device using semiconductor coupled quantum nanostructures is also discussed in terms of wave packet engineering.     

稀土Sm2O3掺杂钙硼硅发光玻璃的光致发光行为研究

用高温熔融法制备了掺杂Sm2O3的CaO-B2 O3-SiO2(CBS)发光玻璃材料,并对其光谱学特性进行了研究。紫外-可见(UV-Vis)吸收光谱表明Sm2O3掺杂发光玻璃在紫外区有较强吸收并在可见光区具有良好的透过率。光谱学测试表明,掺杂发光玻璃在404nm激发下出现Sm3+的特征发射峰,峰值波长分别位于565.8、602.8和650.4nm。同时,Sm2O3掺杂发光玻璃的荧光发射强度随Sm2O3掺杂摩尔分数的增加出现浓度猝灭效应,其Sm2O3掺杂猝灭浓度约为0.10%(摩尔分数)。此外,在365nm紫外光照射下,Sm2 O3掺杂发光玻璃呈现出红橙色发光,表明其具有将紫外光转换成红橙光的能力,可以进一步应用于光转换和光发射领域。     

Femtosecond laser assisted hatching: Dependence of <Emphasis Type="Italic">zona pellucida</Emphasis> drilling efficiency and embryo development on laser wavelength and pulse energy

Ultrashort laser pulses have enabled highly precise and delicate processing of biological specimens. We present the results of using femtosecond laser pulses for dissection of zona pellucida (ZP) in mouse embryos during assisted hatching procedure. We studied the effects of application of femtosecond laser radiation in the infrared (1028 nm) and visible (514 nm) wavelength ranges. Laser irradiation parameters were optimized so as not to compromise the viability of the treated embryos. We have demonstrated that application of femtosecond laser pulses with the energies in the range of 250–320 nJ (for the wavelength of 1028 nm) and 47–112 nJ (for 514 nm) resulted in efficient ZP dissection. Femtosecond laser-assisted ZP drilling does not slow down the development of pre-implantation embryos and leads to 90–95% frequency of complete hatching. The thermal effects can be significantly lower when femtosecond lasers are used as compared to continuous wave or long-pulse lasers. It is crucial when dealing with living cells or organisms. By optimizing femtosecond laser radiation parameters assisted hatching as well as a wide range of embryo-surgical procedures can be efficiently performed, thus creating a great potential of using femtosecond lasers as a multi-purpose “tool of choice” for specialists in the fields of embryology and developmental biology.     

High resolution material ablation and deposition with femtosecond lasers and applications to photomask repair

Abstract

We describe experiments using 100 femtosecond pulses of 266 nm light to ablate Cr defects from photomasks with resolution below 100 nm. In addition to the ablative removal of Cr, experiments were carried out to deposit Cr metal onto fused silica substrates using 100 fs, 400 nm light at atmospheric pressure. Multiphoton dissociation of Cr(CO)₆ adsorbed on fused silica substrates initiates Cr deposition. The mechanisms for deposition on both transparent (fused silica) and absorbing (Cr metal) substrates are discussed. Finally we describe initial experiments to ablate Cr metal at wavelengths below 200 nm using light generated by frequency mixing of ultrashort, 30 fs pulses in an Ar filled capillary.     

Periodic microstructures produced by femtosecond laser irradiation on titanium plate

The periodic microstructures on titanium plate were formed by the irradiation of the femtosecond laser with the laser wavelength of 800 nm and the pulse length of 100 fs. They were oriented to the direction parallel to the laser polarization vector and their (parallel periodic microstructures) period was 1.5–2.4 μm. The periodic nanostructures were also produced by the femtosecond laser ablation, which were oriented to the direction perpendicular to the laser polarization vector and whose period was about 700 nm. Our results indicated that the laser fluence required for the parallel periodic microstructures was higher than that for the periodic nanostructures. The parallel periodic microstructures and the periodic nanostructures might be formed by an intensity modulation, which arose from the interaction of the laser and its scattered wave with a surface wave. The number of laser pulses to irradiate Ti plate was increased from 10 to 110. From 50 pulses, microdots were generated on the hills of the parallel periodic microstructures. From 70 pulses, the parallel periodic microstructures were varied to those with spatial modulation on the hills and the period of them was increased due to the bonding of the hills.     

Remote atmospheric breakdown for standoff detection by using an intense short laser pulse

A remote atmospheric breakdown is a very rich source of UV and broadband visible light that could provide an early warning of the presence of chemical-biological warfare agents at extended standoff distances. A negatively chirped laser pulse propagating in air compresses in time and focuses transversely, which results in a rapid laser intensity increase and ionization near the focal region that can be located kilometers away from the laser system. Proof-of-principle laboratory experiments are performed on the generation of remote atmospheric breakdown and the spectroscopic detection of mock biological warfare agents. We have generated third harmonics at 267 nm and UV broadband radiation in air from the compression and focusing of femtosecond laser pulses. Fluorescence emission from albumin aerosols as they were illuminated by the femtosecond laser pulse has been observed.     

Self-organized 2D periodic arrays of nanostructures in silicon by nanosecond laser irradiation

We report a phenomenon of spontaneous formation of self-organized 2D periodic arrays of nanostructures (protrusions) by directly exposing a silicon surface to multiple nanosecond laser pulses. These self-organized 2D periodic nanostructures are produced toward the edge as an annular region around the circular laser spot. The heights of these nanostructures are around 500?nm with tip diameter ~100?nm. The period of the nanostructures is about 1064?nm, the wavelength of the incident radiation. In the central region of the laser spot, nanostructures are destroyed because of the higher laser intensity (due to the Gaussian shape of the laser beam) and accumulation of large number of laser pulses. Optical diffraction from these nanostructures indicates a threefold symmetry, which is in accordance with the observed morphological symmetries of these nanostructures.     

Dissipative nanostructures and Feigenbaum’s universality in the “Metal-high-power ultrashort-pulsed polarized radiation” nonequilibrium nonlinear dynamical system

We have observed for the first time the phenomenon of a jumplike decrease in the spatial period of a resonance nanorelief formed on a metal surface under the action of a series of high-power femtosecond laser radiation pulses. The residual surface nanorelief formed within the framework of a universal polariton model is related to the generation of a standing-wave pattern due to the interference of the incident wave and the laser-generated surface plasmons. It is established that the formation of resonance nanostructures with two spatial periods differing by a factor of 2 on the surface of titanium is fully consistent with the universal polariton model. The formation of resonance nanostructures with multiple spatial periods in the “metal surface-high-power femtosecond-pulsed radiation” system is also interpreted within the framework of the mathematical model of Feigenbaum’s universality, with a quantity proportional to the number of laser radiation pulses playing the role of a control (bifurcation) parameter.     

Dispersion measurement of inert gases and gas mixtures at 800 nm

Dispersion of femtosecond laser pulses propagating in Ar, He, Kr, N(2), Ne, Xe, and their mixtures is measured by spectrally and spatially resolved interferometry. By varying the gas pressure in a 4.5 m long tube between 0.05 mbar and ambient pressure, the first, second, and third order phase derivatives of broadband laser pulses are determined at 800 nm under standard conditions. The dispersion of gases and gas mixtures obeys the Lorentz-Lorenz formula with an accuracy of 0.7%. Based on the measured pressure dependent dispersion values in the near infrared and the refractive indices available from the literature for the ultraviolet and visible, a pressure dependent Sellmeier-type formula is fitted for each gas. These common form, two-term dispersion equations provide an accuracy between 4.1x10(-9) (Ne) and 4.3x10(-7) (Xe) for the refractive indices, from UV to near IR.     

Formation of the micro-sized grains under influence of the nanosecond laser pulses

The occurrence of a periodic photo-induced grating having about 3.2-μm period and modulation heights up to 150 nm is discovered here under the irradiation of 10-ns 1,064-nm laser pulses with Ag nano-particles deposited on ITO substrates. It is shown that the main role is played by the ITO resistance. This can be explained as the result of interaction between two coherent waves. The first wave is engendered by the fundamental laser and the second one is due to the two-photon absorption phenomenon. It is important mentioning that the observed photo-induced grating is obtained only from a treatment by single 10-ns laser pulses with an effective pump power below 0.7 GW/cm². Since the laser power densities are markedly low and the pulse durations larger than those of the femtosecond laser, the origin of this result is expected to be ascribed to the plasmon excitation leading to further thermoionization.     

Formation of void array inside transparent and absorptive glasses by femtosecond laser irradiation

We demonstrate self-fabrication of void arrays in a fused silica transparent in the visible and a color-filter borosilicate glass strongly absorptive at 800 nm using tightly focused Ti-sapphire femtosecond laser pulses at 1 kHz without scanning. The period, the size, the number of voids, and the length of the aligned void structure were controlled by changing the laser pulse energy, and the position of the focal point inside two materials. The void arrays were observed by an optical microscope and also estimated by an optical diffraction experiment. The void size and period were smaller in the absorptive glass than in the transparent glass. The submicrometer-sized void was observed by a scanning electron microscope. The smaller and clearer void arrays were formed in the color filter than the fused silica glass. With increasing the laser focal depth, the void-array length increased in the fused silica and decreased in the color filter.     

Ultrafast dynamics of surface-enhanced Raman scattering due to Au nanostructures

Ultrafast dynamics of surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) was investigated at cleaved graphite surfaces bearing deposited gold (Au) nanostructures (～10 nm in diameter) by using sensitive pump-probe reflectivity spectroscopy with ultrashort (7.5 fs) laser pulses. We observed enhancement of phonon amplitudes (C═C stretching modes) in the femtosecond time domain, considered to be due to the enhanced electromagnetic (EM) field around the Au nanostructures. Finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) calculations confirmed the EM enhancement. The enhancement causes drastic increase of coherent D-mode (40 THz) phonon amplitude and nanostructure-dependent changes in the amplitude and dephasing time of coherent G-mode (47 THz) phonons. This methodology should be suitable to study the basic mechanism of SERS and may also find application in nanofabrication.     

Effect of concentration on the photoluminescence properties of Sm3+ and Dy3+: cadmium lithium boro tellurite glasses

Rare-earth (Sm3+ or Dy3+) ions doped cadmium lithium boro tellurite glasses have been prepared by melt quenching method for their spectral studies. From X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns the glass amorphous nature has been confirmed. Vis-NIR absorption, excitation and emission spectra of these glasses have been analyzed systematically and also rare earth ion concentration is optimised Sm3+: CLiBT glasses have shown strong orange-reddish emission at 598 nm (4G5/2-->6H7/2) with an excitation wavelength lambda(exci) = 401 nm and Dy3+: CLiBT glasses have shown strong yellow emission at 574 nm (6F9/2-->6H13/2) with lambda(exci) = 451 nm.     

NIR femtosecond laser induced hyper-Rayleigh scattering and luminescence from silver nanoprisms

The nonlinear response of silver nanoprisms (edge length 40 +/- 5 nm and thickness 4.5 +/- 0.5 nm) was studied by exciting with NIR femtosecond pulses (780-880 nm). These nanostructures were observed to generate hyper-Rayleigh scattering (HRS) and broadband luminescence. While HRS showed the expected second order power dependence, the luminescence was observed to follow a third order excitation power dependence. Both HRS and luminescence were observed to be dipolar in nature. The first hyperpolarizability of the nanoprisms was found to be an order of magnitude higher than approximately 15 nm sized nanospheres.     

Optimization of dual-band continuum light source for ultrahigh-resolution optical coherence tomography

We demonstrate a dual-band continuum light source centered at 830 and 1300 nm for optical coherence tomography (OCT) generated by pumping a photonic crystal fiber having two closely spaced zero-dispersion wavelengths with a femtosecond laser at 1059 nm. By use of polarization control, sidelobe suppression can be improved up to approximately 7.7 dB. By employing compression of the pump pulses, the generated spectrum is smooth and near-Gaussian, resulting in a point-spread function with negligible sidelobes. We demonstrate ultrahigh-resolution OCT imaging of biological tissue in vivo and in vitro using this light source and compare it with conventional-resolution OCT imaging at 1300 nm.     

1D nanofabrication with a micrometer-sized laser spot

A simple laser-assisted procedure for the fabrication of functional organic nanostructures is demonstrated. Native silicon samples are coated with alkylsiloxane monolayers and patterned with a focused beam of an Ar(+) laser (lambda = 514 nm). After patterning, the coating is chemically functionalized following a robust preparation scheme. Despite a laser spot diameter of about 2.5 mum, this routine allows for the fabrication of well-confined organosiloxane stripes with widths below 100 nm. As shown, these structures provide a versatile means for building ordered surface architectures of nanoscopic components. In particular, gold nanoparticles (d = 16 nm) self-assemble into one-dimensional arrangements, such as single chains.     

Mechanism of fine ripple formation on surfaces of (semi)transparent materials via a half-wavelength cavity feedback

The mechanism of the fine ripples, perpendicular to laser polarization, on the surface of (semi)transparent materials with period smaller than the vacuum wavelength, λ, of the incident radiation is proposed and experimentally validated. The sphere-to-plane transformation of nanoplasma bubbles responsible for the in-bulk ripples accounts for the fine ripples on the surface of dielectrics and semiconductors. The mechanism is demonstrated for 4H:SiC and sapphire surfaces using 800 nm/150 fs and 1030 nm/300 fs laser pulses. The ripples are pinned to the smallest possible standing wave cavity inside material of refractive index n. This defines the corresponding period, Λ = (λ/n)/2, of a light standing wave with intensity, E(2), at the maxima of which surface ablation occurs. The mechanism accounts for the fine ripples at the breakdown conditions. Comparison with ripples recorded on different materials and via other mechanisms using femtosecond pulses is presented and application potential is discussed.     

Er doped waveguide amplifiers written with femtosecond laser in germanate glasses

The authors report the fabrication and characterization of active waveguides in GeO₂–PbO–Ga₂O₃ glass samples doped with Er³⁺, written with a femtosecond laser delivering pulses of 150 fs duration at 1 kHz repetition rate. Permanent refractive index change was obtained and waveguides were formed under different laser pulse energies and scan velocities. The passive and active optical properties of the waveguides were investigated. The minimum value of propagation loss was of 4.8 dB/cm. Optical amplification at 1.5 μm under 980 nm excitation was observed showing a maximal internal gain of 2.7 dB/cm.     

Thin-film photodetectors for the vacuum ultraviolet spectral region

We report on thin-film photodetectors optimized for detecting the vacuum UV and rejection of the visible spectrum of electromagnetic radiation. The devices are made of hydrogenated amorphous silicon and silicon carbide on a glass substrate. At room temperature the photodetectors exhibit quantum efficiencies of 52% at lambda = 58.4 nm, 1% at lambda = 400 nm, and 0.1% at lambda = 650 nm. The response time for UV pulses from an N(2) laser gives signals of 6-mus full width at half-maximum and 500-ns rise time.