Parameters Affecting the Welding of Transparent Materials Using Femtosecond Laser Pulses

Abstract

There is a pressing need for an accurate process in industrial laser applications such as welding transparent materials. Femtosecond laser pulses, which depend on the nonlinear absorption properties, can be utilized to weld transparent materials. This technique can be applied not only in welding different transparent materials such as glass and polymers, but also in welding opaque materials such as metals, depending on the selection of an appropriate laser wavelength. The parameters that affect the technique such as Keldysh parameter, pulse energy, pulse repetition rate, pulse duration and nonlinear absorptivity were studied. To explain the welding process, an example of an experimental setup and its requirements was described. Besides that, the challenges for the welding process and their voids were also discussed.