Evaluation of Nonlinear Absorptivity and Absorption Region in Fusion Welding of Glass using Ultrashort Laser Pulses

Abstract

Thermal conduction model is presented, by which nonlinear absorptivity of ultrashort laser pulses in internal modification of bulk glass is simulated. The simulated nonlinear absorptivity agrees with experimental values with maximum uncertainty of ±3% in a wide range of laser parameters at 10ps pulse duration in borosilicate glass. The nonlinear absorptivity increases with increasing energy and repetition rate of the laser pulse, reaching as high as 90%. The increase in the average absorbed laser power is accompanied by the extension of the laser-absorption region toward the laser source, suggesting the seed electrons for avalanche ionization are provided mainly by thermal excitation at locations apart from the focus.