Single-femtosecond-laser-pulse interaction with mica

Abstract

Ultrafast, femtosecond laser pulse interaction with dielectric materials has shown them to have significantly higher laser fluence threshold requirements, as compared to metals and semiconductors, for laser material modification, such as laser ablation. Examples of dielectrics are crystalline materials such as quartz and sapphire, and amorphous glasses. The interaction between femtosecond laser pulses, at a wavelength with negligible linear absorption, and a dielectric has been found to be weak, and multiple pulse irradiation is therefore typically used in order to see significant and quantifiable effects. In this study the dielectric is the crystalline, layered, natural mineral muscovite, a mica with formula ( ) ( ) . Muscovite, newly cleaved, is used in a wide range of technological and scientific applications including as an insulating material in electronics and as an ultra-flat and ultra-clean substrate. A single, ~800 nm wavelength, ~6 micron spotsize, ~150 fs laser pulse is found to lead to a systematic range of laser modification topologies, as a function of the fluence of the single laser pulse, including bulk removal of material. The fs laser pulse/material interaction is greater than expected for a standard dielectric at a given fluence. Optical surface profiling and FESEM are used to characterise the topologies. Contrasting the results of the two techniques supports the use of optical surface profiling to characterise the material modification despite its limitations in lateral resolution as compared to FESEM. The interlayer mineral water content of natural muscovite is proposed as the primary reason that mica behaves differently to a standard dielectric when irradiated with a single 800 nm fs laser pulse.

On the van der Waals Heteroepitaxy and Hydroxylation/Oxidation States of Au@Muscovite by Pulsed Laser Ablation in Water and Recovery in Aqueous KOH Solution

“…9 Here, pulsed laser ablation in liquid (PLAL), which typically produced colloidal suspension of Au in water with the diversified states of fcc NPs and novel liquid-crystalline lamellae rolled into tubes 10,11 as well as atom clusters with magic numbers according to mass spectroscopic study, 12 was used to promote the Au + /K + ion exchange at interlayers and the Au−K−OH linkage at the hydrophilic surface of muscovite powders and bulk single-crystal flakes. Note that the dynamic laser ablation process as employed in this work and others, 13 and the single pulse laser shot of muscovite, 14 enables rapid kinetic phase change which is different from the alternative/ conventional hydrothermal process such as static immersion of muscovite powders/flakes in hydrothermal conditions at 800 °C to form kalsilite and corundum. 15 In fact, PLAL in a short period of time and local irradiation avoid the overall decomposition of muscovite so that ion exchange in the lattice can be observed.…”

Fabrication of Cylindrical Microlens by Femtosecond Laser‐Assisted Hydrofluoric Acid Wet Etching of Fused Silica

“…Its high ablation threshold can be used for well-defined ablation patterns to be imprinted on surfaces, fused silica is an ideal material for preparing micro-optical elements. [23][24][25][26] Application of the femtosecond laser in the fabrication of micro-nano structures is increasing fast based on the exponential Moore's law rise of the average power of ultra-short lasers in the past 20 years, [27,28] as femtosecond laser has ultra-short pulse width (sub-1 ps), an ultra-high peak energy density (intensity %10 TW cm À2 pulse À1 ) is reached and can process any solid material including transparent at the wavelength of irradiation. [29][30][31] Some progress has been made in the fields of femtosecond laser processing CML and cylindrical microlens DOI: 10.1002/adpr.202200227 Micro-optical elements play a key role in various advanced devices, including biomedical, photovoltaic, 3D display, and optical communication devices.…”

“…Application of the femtosecond laser in the fabrication of micro‐nano structures is increasing fast based on the exponential Moore's law rise of the average power of ultra‐short lasers in the past 20 years, [ 27,28 ] as femtosecond laser has ultra‐short pulse width (sub‐1 ps), an ultra‐high peak energy density (intensity ≈10 TW cm −2 pulse −1 ) is reached and can process any solid material including transparent at the wavelength of irradiation. [ 29–31 ] Some progress has been made in the fields of femtosecond laser processing CML and cylindrical microlens arrays (CMLAs), such as femtosecond laser ablation combined with CO 2 laser polishing, [ 32 ] femtosecond laser direct‐writing fabrication assisted further polishing with cerium dioxide, [ 33 ] and femtosecond laser beam shaping fabrication.…”