Alexey S. Lipatiev

Direct writing of birefringent elements by ultrafast laser nanostructuring in multicomponent glass

Self-assembled nanostructures created by femtosecond laserirradiation are demonstrated in alkali-free aluminoborosilicate glass. The growth of the induced retardance associated with the nanograting formation is three orders of magnitude slower than in silicaglass and is observed only within a narrow range of pulse energies. However, the strength of retardance asymptotically approaches the value typically measured in pure silicaglass, which is attractive for practical applications. A similar intensity threshold for nanograting formation of about 1 TW/cm2 is observed for all glasses studied. The radially polarized vortex beam micro-converter designed as a space-variant quarter-wave retarder for the near-infrared spectral range is imprinted in commercial Schott AF32 glass.

Broadband infrared light-emitting patterns in optical glass by laser-induced nanostructuring of NiO-doped alkali-gallium germanosilicates.

In this Letter, we show functionalization of NiO-doped 7.5Li(2)O·2.5Na(2)O·20Ga(2)O(3)·35SiO(2)·35GeO(2) glass by space-selective nanocrystallization via exposure to the focused beam of a pulsed copper vapor laser (510.6 and 578.2 nm) at temperature close to the glass transition point (570°C). Irradiated areas drastically change their color, caused by electronic transitions of Ni(2+) dopant ions, without any alteration of the optical quality. Importantly, irradiated regions acquire broadband infrared luminescence (centered at about 1400 nm and possessing 400 nm effective bandwidth) typical of Ni(2+) ions in crystalline environment, and by positive change of refractive index (more than 10(-3)). Spectroscopic and diffractometric data of the irradiated regions indeed resemble those previously observed in thermally nanocrystallized glass, with Ni(2+) ions embedded in γ-Ga(2)O(3) nanocrystals. The results demonstrate the possibility of laser writing nanocrystallized multifunction patterns in germanosilicate glasses for the fabrication of active integrated devices.

Formation of crystalline dots and lines in lanthanum borogermanate glass by the low pulse repetition rate femtosecond laser

Femtosecond lasers have become a powerful tool for 3D space-selective crystallization of glasses. A laser-induced cumulative heating effect required for crystal growth is usually considered to take place only at pulse repetition rate over 100 or 200 kHz and 200 kHz is known as the lowest repetition rate at which femtosecond laser-induced crystallization has been reported so far. We for the first time demonstrate precipitation of LaBGeO5 crystals in lanthanum borogermanate glass using a femtosecond laser emitting 1030 nm, 300 fs, 110 μJ pulses with adjustable repetition rate below 100 kHz. For the applied laser, minimal repetition rate enabling nucleation of ferroelectric LaBGeO5 crystals inside the glass was shown to be 9 kHz at maximal pulse energy of 110 μJ and growth of a crystalline line from the formed seed crystal was obtained starting from 8 kHz though smooth homogeneous oriented line which might be regarded as quasi-single-crystalline could be grown at 25 kHz or higher and corresponding pulse energy of 18 μJ. Thus, the pulse repetition rate sufficient for a cumulative heating effect and a stable crystal growth was reduced by an order of magnitude as compared to earlier publications due to relatively high pulse energy. Possibility and efficiency of cumulative heating and crystal growth and average time required for forming the seed crystal have been studied for various combinations of the pulse energy and the repetition rate. Obtained crystalline features have been studied by micro-Raman spectroscopy and Raman mapping which confirmed growth of stillwellite-like LaBGeO5 phase and orientation of its polar axis along the direction of the crystalline line.

Space-selective modification of Au-doped optical grade glass by the femtosecond laser beam

Femtosecond laser-induced modification of Au-doped phosphate glass at different pulse repetition rates using an Yb femtosecond amplifier emitting pulses of up to 120 μJ energy at 1030 nm with adjustable repetition rate up to 100 kHz is presented. At the repetition rate as low as 1 kHz, only refractive index modification and formation of red color centers are observed. Increasing the average output laser power resulted in increase of color intensity, but this color could be easily erased by the heat treatment at 300˚C for 20 min indicating athermal nature of these laser-induced effects. By contrast, at the repetition rate from 25 kHz to 100 kHz, cumulative heating effect was demonstrated and allowed to realize for the first time one-stage laser-induced growth of Au nanoparticles in the solid glass accompanied by the appearance of a thermally stable red color. Z-scan analysis of nonlinear properties of the studied glass samples is carried out. Details of Au nanoparticles growth and phosphate glass modification by the tightly focused femtosecond laser beam are discussed.

Crystal-in-glass architecture engineering: writing, erasing and rewriting by a femtosecond laser beam

We report a technique to erase a defective or undesirable laser-grown crystal-in-glass architecture, or a given part inside the glass, through a laser-induced space-selective melting process using an example of LaBGeO5 crystalline tracks in lanthanum borogermanate glass. We have also shown that it is possible to rewrite the crystalline tracks in re-melted glass.

Dataset for Direct writing of birefringent elements by ultrafast laser nanostructuring in multicomponent glass

Self-assembled nanostructures created by femtosecond laserirradiation are demonstrated in alkali-free aluminoborosilicate glass. The growth of the induced retardance associated with the nanograting formation is three orders of magnitude slower than in silicaglass and is observed only within a narrow range of pulse energies. However, the strength of retardance asymptotically approaches the value typically measured in pure silicaglass, which is attractive for practical applications. A similar intensity threshold for nanograting formation of about 1 TW/cm2 is observed for all glasses studied. The radially polarized vortex beam micro-converter designed as a space-variant quarter-wave retarder for the near-infrared spectral range is imprinted in commercial Schott AF32 glass.

Advances in femtosecond laser nanostructuring in glass: from printed geometrical phase optics to eternal data storage

Formation of sub-wavelength periodic structures in bulk transparent materials during irradiation with intense ultrashort light pulses remains a mystery. Nevertheless the phenomenon has enabled unique applications ranging from printed flat optics to eternal data storage.