Interaction Of Ultrafast Laser Pulses Research Articles

Ultra-intense femtosecond laser interactions with aligned nanostructures

The interaction of ultrafast laser pulses of relativistic intensity with high aspect ratio nanostructures can efficiently and volumetrically heat matter to an ultra-high-energy-density regime encountered in the center of stars and within the core of fusion capsules compressed by the world’s largest lasers. It also generates gigantic quasi-static electromagnetic fields that accelerate particles to very high energy. Here, we present an overview of the physics and applications of these dense relativistic plasmas that can be created with pulses of relatively modest energy from lasers that can operate at a high repetition rate. Recent nanowire array experiments produced near-solid density plasmas with an extreme degree of ionization (e.g., Au+72), converted ultrafast pulses of laser light into intense x-ray flashes with record efficiency, and accelerated ions to MeV energies, efficiently driving micro-scale fusion reactions that generate flashes of quasi-monoenergetic neutrons. These plasmas also serve as a platform for advancing the understanding of atomic processes in extreme environments and open a new pathway to laser-driven fusion energy. The irradiation of nanostructures at intensities of >1×1022Wcm−2 is predicted to lead to an extreme ultra-high energy density plasma regime characterized by terabar pressures that is virtually unexplored.

Three-Dimensional Laser Printing of Macro-Scale Glass Objects at a Micro-Scale Resolution.

Three-dimensional (3D) printing has allowed for the production of geometrically complex 3D objects with extreme flexibility, which is currently undergoing rapid expansion in terms of materials, functionalities, as well as areas of application. When attempting to print 3D microstructures in glass, femtosecond laser-induced chemical etching (FLICE)—which is a subtractive 3D printing technique—has proved itself a powerful approach. Here, we demonstrate the fabrication of macro-scale 3D glass objects of large heights up to ~3.8 cm with an identical lateral and longitudinal feature size of ~20 μm. The remarkable accomplishment is achieved by revealing an unexplored regime in the interaction of ultrafast laser pulses with fused silica, which results in depth-insensitive focusing of the laser pulses inside fused silica.

Spallation-induced roughness promoting high spatial frequency nanostructure formation on Cr

Interaction of ultrafast laser pulses with metal surfaces in the spallation regime can result in the formation of anisotropic nanoscale surface morphology commonly referred to as laser-induced periodic surface structures (LIPSS) or ripples. The surface structures generated by a single pulse irradiation of monocrystalline Cr samples are investigated experimentally and computationally for laser fluences that produce high spatial frequency nanostructures in the multi-pulse irradiation regime. Electron microscopy reveals distinct response of samples with different crystallographic surface orientations, with (100) surfaces exhibiting the formation of more refined nanostructure by a single pulse irradiation and a more pronounced LIPSS after two laser pulses as compared to (110) surfaces. A large-scale molecular dynamics simulation of laser interaction with a (100) Cr target provides detailed information on processes responsible for spallation of a liquid layer, redistribution of molten material, and rapid resolidification of the target. The nanoscale roughness of the resolidified surface predicted in the simulation features elongated frozen nanospikes, nanorims and nanocavities with dimensions and surface density similar to those in the surface morphology observed for (100) Cr target with atomic force microscopy. The results of the simulation suggest that the types, sizes and dimensions of the nanoscale surface features are defined by the competition between the evolution of transient liquid structures generated in the spallation process and the rapid resolidification of the surface region of the target. The spallation-induced roughness is likely to play a key role in triggering the generation of high-frequency LIPSS upon irradiation by multiple laser pulses.

Manifestations of induced molecular alignment in the interaction of ultrafast laser pulses with gases

The dynamics of rotational wave packets of laser-aligned linear molecules was studied with femtosecond laser pulses in a pump-probe configuration. The alignment produced with a pump beam creates a transiently anisotropic medium, which exhibits birefringence and also a dependence of ionization on the mutual orientation of the polarizations of the probe and pump beams. The induced molecular alignment was observed via variations of the yields of photoelectrons in strong field ionization. In addition, the induced transient birefringence due to alignment revivals altered the nonlinear interaction of the probe beam with the gas, resulting in delay dependent modulation of the probe beam. The revival signatures measured for N2, CO and C2H2 gas molecules were in good agreement with the calculated molecular alignments taking into account the effects of electronic structure and molecular symmetry.

Transient Changes of Optical Properties in Semiconductors in Response to Femtosecond Laser Pulses

In this paper we present an overview of our theoretical simulations on the interaction of ultrafast laser pulses with matter. Our dedicated simulation tool, X-ray induced Thermal And Non-thermal Transitions (XTANT) can currently treat semiconductors irradiated with soft to hard X-ray femtosecond pulses. During the excitation and relaxation of solids, their optical properties such as reflectivity, transmission and absorption, are changing, affected by transient electron excitation and, at sufficiently high dose, by atomic relocations. In this review we report how the transient optical properties can be used for diagnostics of electronic and structural transitions occurring in irradiated semiconductors. The presented methodology for calculation of the complex dielectric function applied in XTANT proves to be capable of describing changes in the optical parameters, when the solids are driven out of equilibrium by intense laser pulses. Comparison of model predictions with the existing experimental data shows a good agreement. Application of transient optical properties to laser pulse diagnostics is indicated.

Programming cancer through phase-functionalized silicon based biomaterials.

Applications of biomaterials in cancer therapy has been limited to drug delivery systems and markers in radiation therapy. In this article, we introduce the concept of phase-functionalization of silicon to preferentially select cancer cell populations for survival in a catalyst and additive free approach. Silicon is phase-functionalized by the interaction of ultrafast laser pulses, resulting in the formation of rare phases of SiO2 in conjunction with differing silicon crystal lattices. The degree of phase-functionalization is programmed to dictate the degree of repulsion of cancer cells. Unstable phases of silicon oxides are synthesized during phase-functionalization and remain stable at ambient conditions. This change in phase of silicon as well as formation of oxides contributes to changes in surface chemistry as well as surface energy. These material properties elicit in precise control of migration, cytoskeleton shape, direction and population. To the best of our knowledge, phase-functionalized silicon without any changes in topology or additive layers and its applications in cancer therapy has not been reported before. This unique programmable phase-functionalized silicon has the potential to change current trends in cancer research and generate focus on biomaterials as cancer repelling or potentially cancer killing surfaces.

Controlled ultrashort-pulse laser-induced ripple formation on semiconductors

In this paper we review recent highlights of our research on the interaction of ultrafast laser pulses with surfaces with the aim of analyzing the fundamental mechanisms during micro/nanoprocessing of the irradiated surfaces and investigate the perspectives and applications arising from the irradiation of novel complex and functional materials with simple as well as temporally modulated femtosecond laser pulses. Our results on the irradiation of Si and ZnO surfaces show that the crater size and the ripple formation can be controlled by irradiation with properly temporally shaped laser pulses. Together with simulations of the dynamics of the phase changes of the material’s surface we show the potential for understanding and tailoring the engineering of smart optical materials at the micro- and nanoscale intended for novel optoelectronic applications and devices.

Lentotomie mittels fs-Laserpulsen: Behandlung der Presbyopie durch Erzeugen von Gleitebenen in der Linse

Based on the Helmholtz theory for accommodation, increasing sclerosis of the lens nucleus and cortex is the main cause for the development of presbyopia. Existing therapies, however, do not reverse the stiffness of the crystalline lens and thus do not regain real accommodation ability. A new approach to restore the flexibility of the lens has been realised by utilising the non-linear interaction of ultrafast laser pulses with transparent tissue, the so-called photodisruption. This process has been used to create micro-incisions which act as gliding planes inside the crystalline lens without opening the eye globe. This treatment method, known as fs-lentotomy, enables regeneration of real dynamic accommodation. For the first time, 3D structures for gliding planes were successfully generated in experiments with human donor lenses of different ages. An average increase in anterior-posterior lens thickness of 100 mum accompanied by a decrease of equatorial lens diameter was observed as a direct consequence of fs-lentotomy. This is attributed to the increased flexibility, as the force of the capsule bag moulds the lens tissue more spherically. Moreover, in vivo experiments on rabbit eye lenses did not induce an increasing opacification (cataract) over a six-month follow-up period. However, the incisions were still detectable using Scheimpflug imaging and histopathological techniques, although the visibility of the incisions was declining. Furthermore, no side effects were observed during the wound healing process and during a six-months follow-up period. Based on these findings fs-lentotomy might have the potential to become a procedure for the reversal of presbyopia.