Ultralow-loss geometric phase and polarization shaping by ultrafast laser writing in silica glass

Sakakura, Masaaki; Lei, Yuhao; Wang, Lei; Yu, Yinhui; Kazansky, Peter G.

doi:10.1038/s41377-020-0250-y

Cited by 165 publications

(116 citation statements)

References 49 publications

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“…In the mid-IR spectral region, promising materials for on-chip DLA technology are dielectric materials, which have a higher material damage threshold compared to silicon 14 , 15 . Well-developed applications such as ultrafast laser materials processing 16 and direct laser writing 17 may also have advantages in switching from visible and near-IR to mid-IR. A promising way for controlling the energy deposition inside transparent dielectric materials is to use a two-color ultrafast excitation 18 – 24 .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Role of wavelength in photocarrier absorption and plasma formation threshold under excitation of dielectrics by high-intensity laser field tunable from visible to mid-IR

Migal

Mareev

Smetanina

et al. 2020

Sci Rep

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the development of high power mid-iR laser applications requires a study on laser induced damage threshold (LIDT) in the mid-IR. In this paper we have measured the wavelength dependence of the plasma formation threshold (PFT) that is a LIDT precursor. In order to interpret the observed trends numerically, a model describing the laser induced electron dynamics, based on multiple rate equations, has been developed. We show both theoretically and experimentally that PFT at mid-IR wavelengths is controlled by a transition from weak-to strong-field regime of free carrier absorption. in the case of Mgf 2 this transition occurs around 3-4 µ m corresponding to the region of the lowermost PFT. The region of the uppermost PFT is reached around 1 µ m and is governed by an interplay of photoionization and weak-field free carrier absorption which manifests itself in both MgF 2 and Sio 2. The PFT observed in considered materials exhibits a universal dependence on the excitation wavelength in dielectrics. Thus, the presented results pave the route towards efficient and controllable laser-induced material modifications and should be of direct interest to laser researchers and application engineers for prevention of laser-induced damage of optical components in high-intensity mid-IR laser systems. Recent advances in the development of ultra-short laser sources in mid-and far-infrared (IR) regions 1-8 lead to a vast number of new applications. However, a primary technological challenge still relevant for researches is the manufacturing of optical components with high laser-induced damage threshold and desired properties (for instance, high transparency or reflectivity in a wide wavelength range, group delay, etc.). This implies a need for experimental investigation of material damage threshold in the IR spectral region 9,10. Thin-films made of multi-layer stacks of low (fluorides, SiO 2) and high (silicon, germanium) refractive index materials are a key component of high-performance coatings in the mid-IR. Fluorides are also popular host matrices for mid-IR solid-state 11 and fiber lasers 12. The knowledge on damage threshold is also important for a new fascinating mid-IR application of dielectric laser accelerators (DLAs) 13,14. In the mid-IR spectral region, promising materials for on-chip DLA technology are dielectric materials, which have a higher material damage threshold compared to silicon 14,15. Well-developed applications such as ultrafast laser materials processing 16 and direct laser writing 17 may also have advantages in switching from visible and near-IR to mid-IR. A promising way for controlling the energy deposition inside transparent dielectric materials is to use a two-color ultrafast excitation 18-24. In this scheme a long wavelength heating pulse is more advantageous due to favorable scaling of avalanche ionization (AI) rate and free electron absorption. However, a lack of knowledge of the laser-induced damage threshold (LIDT) dependence on the wavelength prevents the optimization of such a concept.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Role of wavelength in photocarrier absorption and plasma formation threshold under excitation of dielectrics by high-intensity laser field tunable from visible to mid-IR

Migal

Mareev

Smetanina

et al. 2020

Sci Rep

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“…However, as a general ideal, it is interesting to point out that these liquid-crystal based PB optical elements are basically composed of multiple twisted birefringent layers and, as we will see later, this has effects in the measured optical activity. Many other fabrication methods for GP optical elements are currently being studied, for example a new method based on ultrafast laser writing in silica glass has been recently reported [22].…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Geometrical Phase Optical Components: Measuring Geometric Phase without Interferometry

Arteaga

Bendada

2020

Crystals

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Optical components that are based on Pancharatnam–Berry phase feature a polarization-dependent diffraction that can be used to fabricate lenses and gratings with unique properties. In recent years, the great progress made in the fabrication of the metasurfaces that are required for these optical components has lowered their cost and has made them widely available. One of the often-overlooked properties of optical components based on geometrical phases (GPs) is that, contrary to dynamical phases, their phase can be measured while using a polarimetric technique without the need to resort to interferometry methods. This is possible because the Pancharatnam–Berry phase is not controlled by an optical path difference; it results from a space variant polarization manipulation. In this work, we apply Mueller matrix microscopy in order to measure the geometrical phase of GP lenses and polarization gratings. We show that a single space resolved Mueller matrix measurement with micrometric resolution is enough to obtain a full characterization phase-profile of these GP-based optical components and evaluate their performance.

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“…Much effort has been devoted to improving the processing accuracy, and spatial resolutions as low as micrometers have been achieved in laser cutting, welding, marking, and stereolithography in an atmospheric environment [3][4][5][6] . The femtosecond laser (fs laser) is a particularly promising approach from this point of view, in addition to its three-dimensional (3D) processing capability [7][8][9][10][11][12] and broad-spectrum material usability [13][14][15][16][17][18] . Sub-diffractionlimited feature sizes at a level of tens of nanometers based on multiphoton absorption 19,20 , thresholding 21 , shrinkage 22,23 , and stimulation emission depletion effect 24,25 , have also been realized in fs-laser-induced photocuring of polymers, which unfortunately are not applicable to solid materials.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

O-FIB: far-field-induced near-field breakdown for direct nanowriting in an atmospheric environment

et al. 2020

Self Cite

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Nanoscale surface texturing, drilling, cutting, and spatial sculpturing, which are essential for applications, including thin-film solar cells, photonic chips, antireflection, wettability, and friction drag reduction, require not only high accuracy in material processing, but also the capability of manufacturing in an atmospheric environment. Widely used focused ion beam (FIB) technology offers nanoscale precision, but is limited by the vacuum-working conditions; therefore, it is not applicable to industrial-scale samples such as ship hulls or biomaterials, e.g., cells and tissues. Here, we report an optical far-field-induced near-field breakdown (O-FIB) approach as an optical version of the conventional FIB technique, which allows direct nanowriting in air. The writing is initiated from nanoholes created by femtosecondlaser-induced multiphoton absorption, and its cutting "knife edge" is sharpened by the far-field-regulated enhancement of the optical near field. A spatial resolution of less than 20 nm (λ/40, with λ being the light wavelength) is readily achieved. O-FIB is empowered by the utilization of simple polarization control of the incident light to steer the nanogroove writing along the designed pattern. The universality of near-field enhancement and localization makes O-FIB applicable to various materials, and enables a large-area printing mode that is superior to conventional FIB processing.

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Ultralow-loss geometric phase and polarization shaping by ultrafast laser writing in silica glass

Cited by 165 publications

References 49 publications

Role of wavelength in photocarrier absorption and plasma formation threshold under excitation of dielectrics by high-intensity laser field tunable from visible to mid-IR

Role of wavelength in photocarrier absorption and plasma formation threshold under excitation of dielectrics by high-intensity laser field tunable from visible to mid-IR

Geometrical Phase Optical Components: Measuring Geometric Phase without Interferometry

O-FIB: far-field-induced near-field breakdown for direct nanowriting in an atmospheric environment

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