Increasing Pulse Energy Research Articles

Dynamic of stationary soliton to soliton pulsation transition in spatiotemporal mode-locked fiber lasers

This paper presents the experimental observation of the transition from stationary spatiotemporal soliton (STS) to spatiotemporal soliton pulsation (STSP) in spatiotemporal mode-locked fiber lasers for the first time. Three STSs maintain an asynchronous pulsating state with the same period, while another STS remains in a stationary mode-locked state. Through numerical analysis, the dynamic transition process of STS to STSP is studied. Numerical analysis reveals that STSP occurs under specific cavity parameters when the energy is comparatively high. As pulse energy increases, a stationary STS gradually transitions to a pulsation state. The modes have undergone distinct evolutionary trajectories, and the pivotal role of the saturable absorption effect as well as the interaction among modes has been demonstrated to be crucial for STSP. Our study contributes to understanding the formation mechanism of STSP.

Model of the Effects of Femtosecond Laser Pulse Energy on the Effective Z-Position of the Resulting Cut after Laser-Induced Optical Breakdown

Presented in this study is a validated semiempirical model of the effects of femtosecond laser pulse energy on the effective z-position of the resulting cut after laser-induced optical breakdown. Different energy levels (for the same spot spacings, i.e., different doses) running from 1.07 × (~60 nJ) to 3.8 × (~215 nJ) of the laser-induced optical breakdown (LIOB) threshold (~56 nJ) were used to perform flat cuts within flat poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) samples at the same nominal focus position (depth within the material). The z-locations of the effective cut and the anterior surface of the PMMA were confocally determined. The difference (PMMA_surface—Cut_plane) was used as a surrogate for the effective shift in the z-position of the cut. A consistent and continuous shift towards less deep cuts was observed for increasing pulse energies. The z-shift spreads by up to 22 µm thinner cuts for the largest pulse energy (3.8× LIOBTh, ~215 nJ). Higher pulse energies seem to significantly reduce the cutting depth. The results for PMMA are in good agreement with the moving LIOB model.

Laser shock peening for enhanced fatigue resistance in steel structures: Insights from Q960 steel study

Fatigue damage of steel structures is often likened to the “cancer” of structural engineering. Fatigue failure, characterized by the absence of apparent signs before occurrence, usually leads to significant losses. To investigate the potential of laser shock peening (LSP) as an effective method for improving the fatigue performance of steel structures, square plates and compact tension (CT) specimens made of Q960 structural steel were designed. The surface integrity, fatigue crack growth (FCG) performance, microstructural grain size, and fracture morphology of specimens were compared at different laser shock parameters. The results show that LSP implanted a high level of beneficial residual compressive stress in a mild way, and no obvious surface defects were introduced. A noticeable retardation effect was found in the FCG of LSPed specimens, and this effect becomes more pronounced with the increase of laser pulse energy. Compressive residual stress is a more dominant factor in enhancing fatigue performance compared to grain refinement for the small-grained metals studied. LSP can effectively reduce the FCG rate of Q960 high-strength steel, showing promising application prospects in strengthening the fatigue hazard zone of steel structures.

Multi-pulse femtosecond laser ablation of SiC/SiC composites: Morphological evolution, oxidation mechanisms and component characterization

SiC fiber reinforced SiC matrix (SiosC/SiC) composites processed by femtosecond laser play a pivotal role in thermal protection systems. This paper reveals the ablation characteristics of multi-pulse femtosecond laser ablation of SiC/SiC composites, including morphological evolution, oxidation mechanisms and component characterization by heat accumulation simulation and advanced experimental analysis. The results show that the ablation depth induced by the heat accumulation effect is an exponential function of laser parameters. Morphological analysis and component characterization indicate that two types of ablation regions are formed, normal ablation region is an oxidized zone induced by passive oxidation mechanism, and central ablation region is a non-oxidized zone induced by active oxidation mechanism. The increase of single pulse energy and decrease of scanning speed enhance the driving force of chemical reactions, thus dramatically affecting the gas hole and graphite properties in the normal ablation region. Furthermore, the propagation path of thermal stress-induced cracks is determined which emerges from the center ablation region, extending through gas holes to the normal ablation region.

Investigating the ablation threshold and morphology of spots generated on graphite electrode by femtosecond Gaussian laser pulses

This study investigates the effects of femtosecond laser irradiation on graphite, a highly sought-after material known for its exceptional chemical stability and ability to withstand extreme temperatures. The ablation threshold and surface morphology of graphite were determined using a tightly focused laser beam with varying pulse numbers and laser fluences. The results showed that the laser beam produced diverse morphological structures within different regions of a single laser spot, and the ablation threshold and surface morphology were significantly influenced by the number of pulses and the energy density of the incident laser. The study found that the ablation threshold of graphite was 107, 90, 76, and 56 ± 0.5 mJ/cm2 for 5, 50, 200, and 500 laser pulses, respectively. The resulting surface structures ranged from quasi-periodic to periodic, with varying periodicities, and the ablation debris exhibited morphologies from fine particles to long filaments. The crystal structure of the specimen was analyzed via X-ray diffraction and micro-Raman spectroscopy, with compositional analysis performed using energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX). Notably, a significant broadening of the Raman spectrum peaks with increasing pulse energy suggested the formation of a more disordered structure. These findings demonstrate that femtosecond laser ablation can precisely manipulate the surface morphology and nanoparticle production, presenting potential applications in fields such as nanoparticle generation and engineering surface properties like adhesion, biocompatibility, spectral reflectivity, wear resistance, and wettability.

Optimal parameter settings of thulium fiber laser for ureteral stone lithotripsy: a comparative study in two different testing environments.

This study aims to identify optimal parameters for using Thulium fiber lasers (TFL) in ureteral stone lithotripsy to ensure laser safety and maximize efficacy. Our goal is to improve the outcomes of single-use semi-rigid ureteroscopy for treating stones located in the proximal ureter. A clinically relevant thermal testing device was designed to investigate heating effects during TFL stone fragmentation. The device was utilized to identify safe power thresholds for TFL at various irrigation rates. Three other devices were used to assess varying pulse energy effects on stone fragmentation efficiency, dusting, retropulsion, and depth of tissue vaporization. Comparative experiments in fresh porcine renal units were performed to validate the efficacy and safety of optimal TFL parameters for semi-rigid ureteroscopy in proximal ureteral stone procedures. Our study found that the improved device generated a higher thermal effect. Furthermore, the safe power threshold for laser lithotripsy increased as the irrigation rate was raised. At an irrigation rate of 40ml/min, it is safe to use an average power of less than 30 watts. Although increasing pulse energy has a progressively lower effect on fragmentation and dust removal efficiency, it did lead to a linear increase in stone displacement and tissue vaporization depth. Thermal testing showed 20W (53.87 ± 2.67°C) indicating potential urothelial damage. In our study of laser lithotripsy for proximal ureteral stones, the group treated with 0.3J pulses had several advantages compared to the 0.8J group: Fewer large fragments (> 4mm): 0 vs. 1.67 fragments (1-2.25), p = 0.002, a lower number of collateral tissue injuries: 0.50 (0-1.25) vs. 2.67 (2-4), p = 0.011, and lower stone retropulsion grading: 0.83 (0.75-1) vs. 1.67 (1-2), p = 0.046. There was no significant difference in operating time between the groups (443.33 ± 78.30s vs. 463.17 ± 75.15s, p = 0.664). These findings suggest that TFL irradiation generates a greater thermal effect compared to non-irradiated stones. Furthermore, the thermal effect during laser lithotripsy is influenced by both power and irrigation flow rate. Our study suggests that using a power below 15W with an irrigation flow rate of 20ml/min is safe. Moreover, a pulse energy of 0.3J appears to be optimal for achieving the best overall stone fragmentation effect.

Deep-subwavelength single grooves prepared by femtosecond laser direct writing on Si

Abstract It is well known that, femtosecond-laser pulses are easy to spontaneously induce deep-subwavelength periodic surface structures on transparent dielectrics, but not on non-transparent semiconductors. Nevertheless, in the study we demonstrate that by high-NA 800-nm femtosecond-laser direct writing with controlling the pulse energy and scanning speed in the near-damage-threshold regime, polarization-dependent deep-subwavelength single grooves with linewidths of ~180 nm can be controllably prepared on Si. Generally, the single-groove linewidth increases slightly with the increase of pulse energy and the decrease of scanning speed, whereas the single-groove depth significantly increases from ~300 to ~600 nm with the decrease of scanning speed, or even over 1 μm with the multi-processing, indicating the characteristics of transversal clamping and longitudinal growing of such deep-subwavelength single grooves. Then, EDS composition analysis of the near-groove region confirms that the single-groove formation tends to be an ultrafast, non-thermal ablation process, and the oxidized deposits nearby the grooves are easy to clean up. Furthermore, the results showing the strong dependence of groove orientation on laser polarization, and the occurrence of double-groove structures due to the interference of pre-formed orthogonal grooves, both indicate that the extraordinary field enhancement of strong polarization sensitiveness in the deep-subwavelength groove plays an important role for single-groove growth with high stability and collimation.

Self-absorption of emission lines in picosecond-laser-produced gold plasmas

Ultrashort laser ablation offers several advantages in various applications compared to traditional nanosecond laser ablation techniques. Despite providing a lower damage threshold, cold ablation with high precision, the impact of self-absorption effects in ultrashort laser-produced plasmas (LPPs) significantly affects the assessment of plasma parameters and analytical outcomes in Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) analysis. This study investigated the impact of laser energy, analyte concentration, and acquisition gate delay on the self-absorption of emission lines from picosecond LPPs (ps-LPPs) of gold targets at atmospheric pressure. We used four gold targets (24 carat gold, 22 carat gold, 18 carat gold, and Hepatizon) with varying concentrations of gold and copper. To analyze the self-absorption effects in ps-LPP, we examined four neutral emission lines of ps-LIBS spectra (Au I: 267.59 and 627.81 nm; Cu I: 327.98 and 510.55 nm). We observed that with an increase in laser pulse energy, there is a corresponding rise in the self-absorption of emission lines under ambient pressure. This increase in analyte species concentration leads to an elevation in the self-absorption of emission lines. Additionally, as the temporal delay of acquisition extends, self-absorption intensifies.

Parallel Grooved Microstructure Manufacturing on the Surface of Si3N4 Ceramics by Femtosecond Laser.

Machining special microstructures on the surface of silicon nitride ceramics helps improve their service performance. However, the high brittleness and low fracture toughness of silicon nitride ceramics make it extremely difficult to machine microstructures on their surface. In this study, a femtosecond laser is used to machine parallel grooved microstructures on the surface of silicon nitride ceramics. The effects of the laser polarization angle, laser single pulse energy, scanning line spacing, and laser scan numbers on the surface morphology and geometric characteristics of grooved microstructures are researched. It is found that a greater angle between the direction of the scanning path and laser polarization is helpful to obtain a smoother surface. As the single pulse energy increases, debris and irregular surface structures will emerge. Increasing the laser scan line spacing leads to clearer and more defined parallel grooved microstructures. The groove depth increases with the increase in the scan numbers. However, when a certain number of scans is reached, the depth will not increase further. This study serves as a valuable research foundation for the femtosecond laser processing of silicon nitride ceramic materials.

Frequency-mode-stable regenerative amplification at terahertz burst rates

Generation of high-fidelity amplified pulse bursts with a regular interpulse interval yields, in the spectral domain, an equidistant pattern of narrowband spectral modes, similar to frequency combs produced by cw mode-locked lasers but with greatly increased pulse energy. Despite their great potential for nonlinear spectroscopy, material processing, etc., such long frequency-stable bursts are difficult to generate and amplify because of prominent temporal intensity modulation even after strong dispersive pulse stretching. This study presents a burst generation method based on a master-oscillator regenerative-amplifier system that allows for chirped-pulse amplification (CPA) with high scalability in pulse number. A gradual smoothing of temporal intensity profiles at an increasing number of pulses is discovered, demonstrating an unexpected recovery of the CPA performance at terahertz intraburst repetition rates. In consequence, a self-referenced stable burst spectral peak structure with megahertz peak width is generated without risk of amplifier damage caused by interference of chirped pulses. This result eliminates limitations in burst amplification and paves the way for advancements in ultrashort-pulse burst technology, particularly for its use in nonlinear optical applications.

Numerical Simulation and Experimental Investigation of ps Pulsed Laser Modification inside 4H-SiC Material

Silicon Carbide (SiC) is the predominant substrate material for optoelectronic-integrated devices. However, it challenges the wafer-slicing process because of its high hardness, brittleness, and other material characteristics. Laser processing has gained prominence as the primary method, leveraging its merits of high efficiency, precision, and micro-destructiveness. In this study, a finite element method is applied to calculate the temperature field distribution resulting from the electric field of a Gaussian beam. The simulation considers laser propagation inside 4H-SiC, non-linear absorption, and spherical aberration induced by the refractive index of the material. The influence of laser pulse energy and focusing depth are considered. The results indicate that the modification depths decrease with the increasing focusing depth. With the increase of laser pulse energy, the depth of the modification layer increases continuously. Moreover, an experimental setup has been devised to furnish valuable references in validating the proposed model.

Domain-wall dark pulse generation with SMF-GIMF-SMF structure as artificial saturable absorber

We experimentally demonstrated the generation of domain-wall dark pulse in an Erbium-doped fiber laser using the combination of a 10 cm graded index multimode fiber sandwiched by single mode fibers as artificial saturable absorber. The interaction of phase difference in grade index multimode fiber allowed the stable dual-wavelength oscillation in the cavity. The dual-wavelength centered at 1567.2 nm and 1569.4 nm produces the topological defect in temporal domain and achieved a dark pulse formation with repetition rate of 21.5 MHz. The highest average pulse energy is calculated as 769.6 pJ with pulse width of 5 ns. Throughout the operating pump power range, the average pulse energy and output power increase linearly, with R2 of 0.9999 and achieved the laser efficiency of 9.33%. From the measurement in frequency domain, the signal-to-noise ratio is measured as 49 dB. As compared to reported DW dark pulse works, the proposed structure only required a short length of multimode fiber, which allowed the domain-wall dark pulse to achieve higher pulse repetition rate. The venture of domain wall dark pulse is potentially to pave the foundation toward sustainable industrial growth.

Optimizing Wavelength for Enhanced Cycling Durability of Laser‐Induced Phase Change in Sb2S3 Films: A Survey on Optical Transmission Phase Shift

AbstractThe advancement of nonvolatile reconfigurable photonic elements has led to the development of Sb2S3 as a desirable phase change material for optical phase modulation in visible and near‐infrared wavebands. However, achieving long‐lasting cycling durability of the phase change remains a formidable challenge. Traditional characterization methods like transmittance or reflectance measurement fail to provide a quantitative assessment of the degree of phase change. To address this, the study focuses on enhancing the cycling durability of complete phase change in Sb2S3 films by manipulating the wavelength of a femtosecond laser for amorphization. To accurately measure optical transmission phase shifts during phase change experiments, a novel liquid‐crystal retardance matching technique based on the Mach–Zehnder interferometer is developed. This approach allows for a direct and quantitative assessment of the degree of phase change without relying on an optical model. The findings reveal that longer wavelengths and multi‐pulse irradiation with increasing pulse energy significantly enhance the cycling durability of the phase change. Additionally, the cost‐effective customization of nonvolatile photonic elements is demonstrated using laser direct writing, eliminating the need for lithography. It is anticipated that this work will drive advancements in Sb2S3‐based reconfigurable devices and contribute to the broader field of nonvolatile reconfigurable photonic elements.

Optical Properties of Germanium Nanoparticles Prepared by Laser Ablation

The synthesis of germanium nanoparticles (Ge NPs) through pulsed laser ablation in deionized water is investigated for Nanophotonics and optoelectronic applications. This study delves into the influence of laser pulse energy on Ge NP properties, specifically highlighting size control and optical characteristics. Our findings reveal a significant reduction in Ge NP size, from an initial 30 nm to 20 nm, as the laser pulse energy increases. Notably, we observed size-dependent blue luminescence from the synthesized Ge NPs. This controlled synthesis holds promise for optoelectronics and sensing applications. The study provides valuable insights into precise Ge NP synthesis and underscores their intriguing optical properties, paving the way for advanced Nanophotonic devices.

Experimental Study on the Temporal Evolution Parameters of Laser–Produced Tin Plasma under Different Laser Pulse Energies for LPP–EUV Source

The laser–produced plasma extreme ultraviolet (LPP–EUV) source is the sole light source currently available for commercial EUVL (extreme ultraviolet lithography) machines. The plasma parameters, such as the electron temperature and electron density, affect the conversion efficiency (CE) of extreme ultraviolet radiation and other critical parameters of LPP–EUV source directly. In this paper, the optical emission spectroscopy (OES) was employed to investigate the time–resolved plasma parameters generated by an Nd:YAG laser irradiation on a planar tin target. Assuming that the laser–produced tin plasma satisfies the local thermodynamic equilibrium (LTE) condition, the electron temperature and electron density of the plasma were calculated by the Saha–Boltzmann plot and Stark broadening methods. The experimental results revealed that during the early stage of plasma formation (delay time < 50 ns), there was a significant presence of continuum emission. Subsequently, the intensity of the continuum emission gradually decreased, while line spectra emerged and became predominant at a delay time of 300 ns. In addition, the evolution trend of plasma parameters, with the incident laser pulse energy set at 300 mJ, was characterized by a rapid initial decrease followed by a gradual decline as the delay time increased. Furthermore, with an increase in the incident laser pulse energy from 300 mJ to 750 mJ, the electron temperature and electron density of laser–produced tin plasma exhibiting a monotonically showed increasing trend at the same delay time.

Reflection and refraction of a super-Gaussian optical pulse at a moving temporal boundary

We investigate the transmission properties of super-Gaussian pulses at a moving temporal boundary. The incident spectrum of super-Gaussian pulses, determined by different shape parameters, affects the reflected and transmitted pulse energy and the sidelobes distribution after crossing the temporal boundary. When the incident pulse is an initial unchirped super-Gaussian pulse or a super-Gaussian pulse with a small chirp parameter, the reflected pulse energy increases and the transmitted pulse energy decreases as the incident pulse shape parameter increases. When the incident pulse with a initial chirp and |C|≥2, the incident pulse spectrum mainlobe energy increases as the shape parameter increases, resulting in reflected pulse energy decreases and transmitted pulse energy increases. This study also discusses the pulse splitting occurs in the anomalous dispersion region. The super-Gaussian pulse sidelobes can theoretically be removed by creating two temporal boundaries.

Influence of ultraviolet irradiation on the optical properties and biological activity of copper nanoparticles prepared by pulsed laser ablation

In this study, we synthesized colloidal copper nanoparticles (CuNPs) utilizing Q-switched Nd:YAG laser ablation on a copper plate immersed in double-distilled water at energies of 200 and 400 mJ, respectively, with 100, 200, 300, 400, and 500 pulses. The size and optical properties of nanoparticles were determined using a UV–Vis spectrophotometer, a transmission electron microscope (TEM), and a field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM). The absorption spectra exhibited two surface plasmon resonance peaks (λSPR), one at 217 nm for copper oxide nanoparticles (CuONPs) and the other at 636 nm for CuNPs, with the increase in laser pulses. Consequently, the optical bandgap increased by roughly 3 eV. The TEM and FE-SEM analyses showed nearly spherical Cu nanoparticles with average diameters of 33 and 38 nm for laser energies of 200 and 400 mJ, respectively. An analysis of x-ray diffraction patterns revealed that CuONPs contained the crystallographic planes of a monoclinic and an orthorhombic crystal system. Additionally, the mean crystallite size of laser-ablated nanoparticles increased with increasing pulse energy. Furthermore, the absorption and optical bandgap of CuNPs increased slightly with an increase in ultraviolet irradiation exposure. The results of our study showed an increased inhibitory effect against both Staphylococcus aureus bacteria and Escherichia coli bacteria when CuNPs were irradiated by ultraviolet type C.

Observation of RIN reduction via spectral broadening in an NPR-based stretched pulse fiber laser.

We show that an optimum mode-locking state with low relative intensity noise (RIN) can be identified by continuous broadening of an optical spectrum in a stretched-pulse fiber laser based on nonlinear polarization rotation (NPR). Under the premise of keeping the overall spectral shape unchanged, either gradually increasing the pump power or unidirectionally adjusting the polarization controller (PC) can effectively reduce RIN as the optical spectral bandwidth broadens. The optimized intensity noise performance of the laser can be attributed to the increased pulse energy and reduced intra-cavity net dispersion. Moreover, the integrated RIN will further decrease as the maximum 3-dB bandwidth extends. In our experiment, the detected minimum integrated rms RIN is below 0.003% (from 100 Hz to 100 kHz). Our experimental results find that the absolute spectral width is not a necessary key condition for obtaining low RIN mode-locked laser, whereas it may help understand and design versatile low-noise ultrafast laser sources.

Influence of pulse energy on surface integrity of AZ31 magnesium alloy processed by femtosecond laser shock peening

Compared with traditional laser shock peening by nanosecond pulse laser, femtosecond laser shock peening (FLSP) exhibits superior flexibility and efficiency since it can be carried out directly in air without any ablative or confinement layers. In this work, FLSP was successfully performed on AZ31 magnesium alloy sheet. The influence of pulse energy on surface morphology and roughness, microstructure, surface residual stress and hardness was investigated in details. The results show that varying the laser pulse energy could effectively improve the surface integrity of the material. Regular dents are produced at the material surface with relatively low pulse energies, and the regular dent morphology disappears gradually with increasing pulse energy, suggesting an increased surface roughness. Surface microhardness and residual compressive stress are increased significantly after FLSP. The surface microhardness increases from the untreated 58.13 HV to the maximum value of about 69.58 HV at 37 μJ, by an increase of 19.7%. At 73 μJ, the residual compressive stress rises to a maximum value of approximately 59.6 MPa from an untreated 16.3 MPa. Moreover, the nano-hardness near the surface at the cross section is 1.68 GPa at 37 μJ, with an increase of 46% compared to the untreated 1.14 GPa. Particularly, twins and grain refinement layers are observed near the surface after FLSP, also indicated by the XRD analysis. The plastic deformation and grain refinement with low pulse energies contribute to the surface strengthening while the thermal effect and surface oxidation with increasing pulse energy may inhibit the enhancement of surface integrity.

Study of GHz-Burst Femtosecond Laser Micro-Punching of 4H-SiC Wafers

The micromaching of silicon carbide using femtosecond laser pulses is becoming an important field of research. High-repetition-rate sub-pulse trains, so-called pulse bursts, are a particularly promising route towards completely new process regimes. We report on the results of micro-punching n-type 4H-silicon carbide wafers using GHz pulse burst in order to systematically investigate the influence of the temporal energy distribution on laser processing. Pulse-burst experiments are performed at a laser wavelength of λ= 1030 nm using a single GHz burst containing a varying number of pulses and then compared with standard single femtosecond pulse exposures. The pulse energy is swept across the ablation threshold. For each set of parameters, the micromachining efficiency is evaluated in terms of ablation efficiency and burr characteristics. Scanning electron micrographs provide qualitative information about the machining quality. The characteristics of the laser modification are discussed in relation to an increase in the number of pulses in a burst envelope and to an increase in pulse energy. We observe that, compared to a single pulse, a GHz burst comprised of 10 lower-energy pulses leads to an increase in the ablation rate by a factor of ≤ 10.