Femtosecond Laser Applications in Glasses (FLAG)

Abstract:

In the framework of our proposal, the field of optical nano/micro-processing is already emerging and is predicted to have a bright future taking profit of the high brilliance lasers like UV nanosecond lasers in the 90’s and now femtosecond lasers. Beyond simple energy deposition, femtosecond lasers open the possibility to master the forces field distribution at the root of the material modifications. This approach will radically change the traditional approaches by exploiting physico-chemical effects not accessible before. Today’s ultrafast laser systems offer thus a myriad of material interactions such as 3D refractive index patterning, annealing and micromachining but now other properties are aroused like oxydo-reduction, chirality, periodic sub-wavelength structures, nanocluster precipitation and shaping. These interactions exhibit enormous potentialities in the development of a new generation of components for microelectronics, photonics, telecommunication and high power lasers. No other technique holds such potential for 3D shaping the linear and non-linear optical tensors on demand. Here we are willing to develop a single processing tool that will allow the manufacturer fabricating disparate components on a common substrate, and enabling their integration into functional and compact systems. All these qualities let us foresee that this new micro-processing technology will be a source of employment in the next 10 years.