B. Hopp

Absorbing film assisted laser induced forward transfer of fungi (Trichoderma conidia)

We present an investigation on absorbing film assisted laser induced forward transfer (AFA-LIFT) of fungus (Trichoderma) conidia. A KrF excimer laser beam [λ=248nm,FWHM=30ns (FWHM, full width at half maximum)] was directed through a quartz plate and focused onto its silver coated surface where conidia of the Trichoderma strain were uniformly spread. The laser fluence was varied in the range of 0–2600mJ∕cm2 and each laser pulse transferred a pixel of target material. The average irradiated area was 8×10−2mm2. After the transfer procedure, the yeast extract medium covered glass slide and the transferred conidia patterns were incubated for 20 h and then observed using an optical microscope. The transferred conidia pixels were germinated and the areas of the culture medium surfaces covered by the pixels were evaluated as a function of laser fluence. As the laser fluence was increased from 0 to 355mJ∕cm2 the transferred and germinated pixel area increased from 0 to 0.25mm2. Further increase in fluence resulted...

Wet etching of fused silica: a multiplex study

The machining process of transparent materials using the laser induced backside wet etching (LIBWE) procedure was studied. In the course of this, experimental investigations and numerical calculations were carried out. Fused silica plates were irradiated by an ArF excimer laser, using a naphthalene?methyl methacrylate solution as an absorbing liquid (concentration 0.85?mol?dm?3, absorption coefficient at 193?nm 52?200?cm?1). The etch rate dependence on the applied laser fluence (varied from 110 to 860?mJ?cm?2) was derived from the etch depths, measured using an atomic force microscope (AFM). The etch rate was found to be 4.7?49.5?nm/pulse, depending on the laser fluence. The surface morphology of the etched edges was also investigated by AFM. A fast photographic arrangement was used for time resolved observation of bubble development in the liquid absorbent, which is an important phenomenon of LIBWE. The internal pressure of the expanding bubbles was calculated using recorded snapshots. It was found to be 22?120?MPa 17.2?ns after the excimer pulse peak. The one-dimensional heat flow equation, including the melting of the treated fused silica layer and the vaporization of the absorbing solution, was solved using the finite difference method. The surface temperature of the fused silica was found to be a maximal 17.2?ns after the excimer pulse peak. Based on our results, we present a possible interpretation of the LIBWE procedure of fused silica.

Time-resolved study of absorbing film assisted laser induced forward transfer of Trichoderma longibrachiatum conidia

We have characterized the absorbing film assisted transfer of Trichoderma longibrachiatum conidia using a synchronized laser for illumination. The transfer laser used was a KrF excimer laser (? = 248?nm, FWHM = 30?ns) and the ejected material was illuminated parallel to the quartz plate by a nitrogen laser pumped Coumarine 153 dye laser beam (? = 453?nm, FWHM = 1?ns) electronically delayed relative to the transfer UV pulse. Our time-resolved investigations determined that the ejection velocity front of the conidia plume from the donor surface during the transfer procedure was 1150?m?s?1 at 355?mJ?cm?2 applied laser fluence. On the basis of the measured data, the acceleration of the emitted conidia at the plume front was approximately 109 ? g. The conidia survived the absorbing film assisted forward transfer and associated mechanical shear without significant damages suggesting that the technique might be applicable to other more fragile types of biological objects and applications.

Plume emission, shock wave and surface wave formation during excimer laser ablation of the cornea.

Excimer lasers are now used for corneal surgery; however, the physical processes occurring during photoablation of the cornea are incompletely understood. High speed laser-based photographic arrangement was constructed. The temporal resolution was better than 1 ns. The setup could work as a Schlieren arrangement, which is sensitive to the refractive index change caused by the shock wave propagating in the air above the eye. With minor changes the setup was converted into a shadowgraph, which could detect the ablation plume and the waves propagating on the surface of the eye. Due to the impact of the excimer laser pulse onto the surface of the cornea, a shock wave was generated in the air. The shadowgraph clearly showed the ejection of the ablated cornea. The ejection velocity of the plume was found to be over 600 m/s. It was shown for the first time that the recoil forces of the plume are generating a wave on the surface of the eye. The laser-based high speed photographic arrangement is a powerful arrangement in the study of physical effects occurring during photoablation of the cornea.

Evaluation of laser-speckle contrast image analysis techniques in the cortical microcirculation of piglets

A new laser speckle-contrast analysis (LASCA) technique based on multi-exposure imaging was employed to simultaneously study pial arteriolar responses with cerebrocortical perfusion changes to various vasodilator (5-10% CO(2) ventilation, bradykinin (1-10 μM), N-methyl-D-aspartate (100 μM)) vasoconstrictor (10-100 μM noradrenaline, 1M KCl), or neutral (2.1% H(2) ventilation) stimuli as well as to asphyxia in the newborn piglet. Anesthetized, ventilated animals (n=20) were fitted with closed cranial windows. Multiple exposure laser-speckle image series (1-100 ms) were obtained using a near infrared diode laser (λ=808 nm). The autocorrelation decay time (τ) of speckle fluctuations was determined over pial arterioles and parenchymal areas to express 1/τ being proportional to blood flow velocity by two different LASCA techniques: our novel multi-exposure or a single exposure (2 and 20 ms) approach. 1/τ values yielded by different LASCA techniques were not significantly different at most points. LASCA easily detected both increases and decreases in cortical blood flow (CoBF). Cortical 1/τ changes to hypercapnia closely matched quantitative CoBF data determined previously, and were also in accordance with increases of pial arteriolar blood flow, calculated from arteriolar flow velocity and cross sectional area changes. In summary, LASCA emerges as an appealing method to simultaneously study microvascular reactivity and cortical perfusion changes in the piglet.

Investigation of conical structures created by ArF excimer laser irradiation of polycarbonate

Conical structures develop on the surface of ArF excimer laser ablated polycarbonate between 20 and 600 mJ/cm2. The cause of this is that the particulate impurities (which are responsible for the formation of cones) are also removed above 600 mJ/cm2 and ablation of polycarbonate does not occur below 20 mJ/cm2. The dependence of the apex angle of the cones on the fluence is investigated. It is shown that the shape of the cones depends on the polarization of the UV beam. A simple computation is proposed to model the formation of the above-mentioned structure. This is in good agreement with the experimental results.

Production of submicrometre fused silica gratings using laser-induced backside dry etching technique

Laser micromachining of transparent materials is a promising technique for producing micro-optical elements. Several types of both direct (e.g. ablation) and indirect (e.g. laser-induced backside wet etching: LIBWE) procedures have already been developed and presented in the last two decades. Here we present a new method (laser-induced backside dry etching (LIBDE)) in the analogy of LIBWE for the micro and nanoprocessing of transparent materials.In our experiments 1 mm thick fused silica plates were used as transparent work pieces. The plates were covered with 100 nm thick silver layers. The metal absorbing films were irradiated through the fused silica by a KrF excimer laser beam (λ = 248 nm, FWHM = 30 ns). The illuminated area was 1.05 mm2 and the fluence on the silver–quartz interface varied in the range 0–1800 mJ cm−2. We have provided evidence that LIBDE is more effective and simple than LIBWE, its etch rate being much higher at a given laser fluence. Our interference experiments proved that the LIBDE etching technique is suitable to fabricate gratings displaying submicrometre periods in transparent materials. On the basis of all these, it is suggested that this method may be useful to produce other nano and microoptical elements, too.

Dynamics of excimer laser ablation of thin tungsten films monitored by ultrafast photography

The time course of laser light induced transport of tungsten films from a glass support is followed by ultrafast photography using delayed dye laser pulses. The photographs provide unambiguous evidence that the material transport in the 40–200 mJ/cm2 intensity domain takes place via removal of solid pieces from the film material. These results are consistent with heat flow calculations which predict the overall melting of the metal layer above 380 mJ/cm2. The series of photographs presented give detailed insight into the melting process and have revealed an unexpected in-flight phase separation of solid fracture pieces and molten droplets throughout the 200–900 mJ/cm2 domain. The faster propagating molten droplets form a condensed halo in front of the solid pieces, thereby providing an efficient shield between the processing laser light and the solid phase.

Pulsed laser deposition of compact high adhesion polytetrafluoroethylene thin films

Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) thin films were prepared from pressed powder pellets via pulsed laser deposition by using ArF (193 nm) excimer laser. The applied laser fluences were in the 1.6-10 J cm-2 range, the substrate temperature was varied between 27°C and 250°C and post-annealing of the films was carried out in air at temperatures between 320°C and 500°C. Films deposited at 250°C substrate temperature were found to be stoichiometric while those prepared at lower temperatures were fluorine deficient. Morphological analyses proved that the film thickness did not significantly depend on the substrate temperature and the post annealing at 500°C resulted in a thickness reduction of approximately 50%. It was demonstrated that the films prepared at 8.2 J cm-2 fluence and annealed at 500°C followed by cooling at 1°C min-1 rate were compact, pinhole-free layers. The adherence of films to the substrates was determined by tensile strength measurements. Tensile strength values up to 2.4 MPa were obtained. These properties are of great significance when PTFE films are fabricated for the purpose of protecting coatings.

Fabrication of 150 nm period grating in fused silica by two-beam interferometric laser induced backside wet etching method

Fused silica gratings with periods of 154 nm, 266 nm, and 550 nm have been fabricated by the method of two-beam interferometric laser induced backside wet etching (TWIN-LIBWE). The spatially filtered pulses at 266nm were splitted into two parts and interfered at an incident angle of 60(o), 30(o), and 14(o), respectively, on the backside surface of a fused silica plate contacting with the liquid absorber. The morphology of the etched gratings was characterized by atomic force microscope. According to our knowledge, the produced 154 nm period is the smallest grating constant generated by laser techniques directly in fused silica at present.