Femto- and nano-second laser-induced damages in chalcogenide glasses

Abstract

We have studied damaging behaviors in bulk As2Se3, Se and As2S3 glasses using fs and ns laser pulses. Threshold fluence of laser damages markedly varies with excitations and materials. Under sub-gap fs pulses with photon-energy of ħω = 1.6 eV, the threshold in As2S3 is roughly twice that of the other two glasses, and photo-crystallization appears in Se. For ns pulses, all the glasses under bandgap (ħω = 2.3 eV) illumination possess higher thresholds than those under mid-gap (ħω = 1.2 eV) illumination. These observations are discussed, taking electronic and thermal effects into account.