This PDF file contains the front matter associated with SPIE Proceedings Volume 10094, including the Title Page, Copyright information, Table of Contents, Introduction (if any), and Conference Committee listing.

In contrast to a broadband Ti:sapphire laser that mode locks a continuum of emission and enables broadband biophotonic applications, supercontinuum generation moves the spectral broadening outside the laser cavity into a nonlinear medium, and may thus improve environmental stability and more readily enable clinical translation. Using a photonic crystal fiber for passive spectral broadening, this technique becomes widely accessible from a narrowband fixed-wavelength mode-locked laser. Currently, fiber supercontinuum sources have benefited single-photon biological imaging modalities, including light-sheet or confocal microscopy, diffuse optical tomography, and retinal optical coherence tomography. However, they have not fully benefited multiphoton biological imaging modalities with proven capability for high-resolution label-free molecular imaging. The reason can be attributed to the amplitude/phase noise of fiber supercontinuum, which is amplified from the intrinsic noise of the input laser and responsible for spectral decoherence. This instability deteriorates the performance of multiphoton imaging modalities more than that of single-photon imaging modalities. Building upon a framework of coherent fiber supercontinuum generation, we have avoided this instability or decoherence, and balanced the often conflicting needs to generate strong signal, prevent sample photodamage, minimize background noise, accelerate imaging speed, improve imaging depth, accommodate different modalities, and provide user-friendly operation. Our prototypical platforms have enabled fast stain-free histopathology of fresh tissue in both laboratory and intraoperative settings to discover a wide variety of imaging-based cancer biomarkers, which may reduce the cost and waiting stress associated with disease/cancer diagnosis. A clear path toward intraoperative multiphoton imaging can be envisioned to help pathologists and surgeons improve cancer surgery.

We present the results of fabricating micro-structured macro-constructs for tissue engineering applications by using direct laser writing in pre-polymers (DLW-PP). The limiting factors for rapid construction of millimeter sized scaffolds, including the choice of material, software and hardware, as well as geometry, are discussed. We demonstrate that by using the hybrid inorganic-organic pre-polymer SZ2080 and employing a laser system which can combine the movement of linear motion stages with scanners, the structuring throughput reaching up to 51300 μm³/s can be achieved maintaining structural elements with 15 μm resolution. This allows to construct up to 30 scaffolds overnight with measurements reaching 1515×1515×195 μm³ – big enough for a surgeon to handle – and enables serial fabrication of such structures required for statistical tissue formation studies. Also, the versatility of DLW-PP technique is demonstrated by presenting the fabricated scaffolds with different pore shapes and sizes as well as manufactured out of pure and photo-sensitized SZ2080 material.

Recent developments and progress in the delivery of high average power ultrafast laser pulses enable a range of novel minimally invasive surgical procedures. Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide and here the resection of lung tumours by means of picosecond laser pulses is presented. This represents a potential alternative to mitigate limitations of existing surgical treatments in terms of precision and collateral thermal damage to the healthy tissue.

Robust process parameters for the laser resection are demonstrated using ovine pulmonary adenocarcinoma (OPA). OPA is a naturally occurring lung cancer of sheep caused by retrovirus infection that has several features in common with some forms of human pulmonary adenocarcinoma, including a similar histological appearance, which makes it ideally suited for this study.

The picosecond laser was operated at a wavelength of 515 nm to resect square cavities from fresh ex-vivo OPA samples using a range of scanning strategies. Process parameters are presented for efficient ablation of the tumour with clear margins and only minimal collateral damage to the surrounding tissue. The resection depth can be controlled precisely by means of the pulse energy. By adjusting the overlap between successive laser pulses, deliberate heat transfer to the tissue and thermal damage can be achieved. This can be beneficial for on demand haemostasis and laser coagulation.

Overall, the application of ultrafast lasers for the resection of lung tumours has potential to enable significantly improved precision and reduced thermal damage to the surrounding tissue compared to conventional techniques.

Multiphoton microscopy (MPM) has benefitted dramatically from the development of fiber-based technology. Among these technologies, soliton self-frequency shift (SSFS) in photonic crystal (PC) rods uniquely combines high soliton energy (~100 nJ) and broad wavelength tuning range (>100 nm). Recently, high-energy, 1700-nm femtosecond pulses generated by SSFS in a PC rod enabled 3-photon microscopy of mouse hippocampus in vivo. Below damage threshold, acquisition speed is proportional to the repetition rate of the laser. Here we demonstrate a technique for increasing the soliton repetition rate in a PC rod. Through polarization division and polarization multiplexing, we can double the repetition rate of the optical solitons generated in a PC rod. The orthogonally polarized solitons have virtually the same spectrum, pulse width and energy. As an application, we demonstrate that compared with single-polarization soliton, imaging signals are increased by two fold in MPM using our technology, corresponding to the repetition rate doubling of the optical solitons. We expect this technology will help increase the imaging speed or signal levels in MPM. Besides, this technology may overcome the signal generation limit due to the maximum available soliton energy from solid-core PC rods.

We developed modeling tools for optical breakdown events in water that span various phases reaching from breakdown initiation via solvated electron generation, through laser induced-plasma formation and temperature evolution in the focal spot to the later phases of cavitation bubble dynamics and shock wave emission and applied them to a large parameter space of pulse durations, wavelengths, and pulse energies.

The rate equation model considers the interplay of linear absorption, photoionization, avalanche ionization and recombination, traces thermalization and temperature evolution during the laser pulse, and portrays the role of thermal ionization that becomes relevant for T > 3000 K. Modeling of free-electron generation includes recent insights on breakdown initiation in water via multiphoton excitation of valence band electrons into a solvated state at Eini = 6.6 eV followed by up-conversion into the conduction band level that is located at 9.5 eV.

The ability of tracing the temperature evolution enabled us to link the model of laser-induced plasma formation with a hydrodynamic model of plasma-induced pressure evolution and phase transitions that, in turn, traces bubble generation and dynamics as well as shock wave emission. This way, the amount of nonlinear energy deposition in transparent dielectrics and the resulting material modifications can be assessed as a function of incident laser energy. The unified model of plasma formation and bubble dynamics yields an excellent agreement with experimental results over the entire range of investigated pulse durations (femtosecond to nanosecond), wavelengths (UV to IR) and pulse energies.

Studying the wavelength dependence of femtosecond optical breakdown in water helps resolving an ongoing controversy on the relative importance of multiphoton, tunneling and avalanche ionization. Measurements of the bubble formation threshold at 50 wavelengths from UV to near-IR revealed a continuous decrease of the irradiance threshold with increasing wavelength. This is indicative for a dominant role of avalanche ionization, which gains strength with wavelength whereas the multiphoton ionization rate decreases.

Fitting data by a model considering breakdown initiation via a solvated electron state yielded an effective Drude electron collision time of 1 fs. Modeling predicts that the threshold continues to decrease up to 1.3 μm but levels out for longer wavelengths. It remains low in the mid IR because wavelength-independent tunneling ionization ensures a constant level of seed electrons for the ionization avalanche even though the influence of multiphoton ionization ceases.

The low breakdown threshold opens promising perspectives for ultrashort-pulsed laser surgery at wavelengths around 1.3 μm and 1.7 μm, which are attractive due to a favorable combination of low scattering and moderate water absorption. The wavelength dependence of the irradiance threshold together with tissue optical data was used to estimate the wavelength dependence of the energy threshold at various cutting depths. For focusing depths up to 200 μm, pulse energies required for surgery are smallest for < 800 nm. However, the energy minimum shifts to wavelengths around 1350 nm for z = 500 μm, and to the region around 1700 nm for z = 1 mm.

When an intense femtosecond laser pulse is focused into a culture medium through an objective lens, an impulsive force is loaded on the cells with generations of the shock and stress waves at the laser focal point. The shock and stress waves were acted to single cells in the vicinity of the laser focal point as an impulsive force. We have applied the impulsive force to manipulate single cells. As the transient intensity of the impulsive force is over 1000 times stronger than the force due to optical tweezers, drastic single manipulation which is difficult by the optical tweezers can be realized. The generation process of the impulsive force and behavior of animal cell after loading the impulsive force were reviewed, and then our original quantification method of the impulsive force utilizing atomic force microscope (AFM) was introduced with its applications for evaluating adhesions between animal cells and between sub-organelles in plant cell.

Efficient drug and biomolecular delivery into cells is an important area of biomedical research. Intracellular delivery relies on porating cell membranes to allow exterior molecules to enter the cell efficiently and viably. Various methods, including optoporation, electroporation, and viral techniques, can deliver molecules to cells, but come with significant drawbacks such as low efficiency, low throughput, and low viability. We present a new laser-based delivery method that uses laser pulses to excite plasmonic, Titanium Nitride (TiN) microstructures for cell poration and offers high efficiency, throughput, and viability. TiN is a promising plasmonic material for laser-based delivery methods due to its high levels of hardness and thermal stability. We fabricate these microstructures by sputtering thin films of TiN on patterned sapphire substrates. We then optimize plasmonic enhancement and stability by investigating different fabrication conditions. We deliver dye molecules, siRNA, and microspheres to cells to quantify poration efficiency and viability by using flow cytometry and by imaging the target cells at defined time intervals post laser irradiation. Additionally, we study temperature effects via simulations and experiments, as well as oxidation of the TiN films over time. We also use scanning electron microscopy (SEM) techniques to study microstructure damage and cell adhesion. Overall, TiN presents a promising opportunity for use as a reusable material in future biomedical devices for intracellular biomolecular delivery and regenerative medicine.

Vapor nanobubbles generated around plasmonic nanoparticles (NPs) by ultrafast laser irradiation are efficient for inducing localized damage to living cells. Killing targeted cancer cells or gene delivery can therefore be envisioned using this new technology [1,2]. The extent of the damage and its non-lethal character are linked to the size of the nanobubble. Precise understanding of the mechanisms leading to bubble formation around plasmonic nanostructures is necessary to optimize the technique. In this presentation, we present a complete model that successfully describes all interactions occurring during the irradiation of plasmonics nanostructures by an ultrafast laser of various pulse widths and fluences. Nanoavitation is caused by the interplay between heat conduction at the NP-medium interface and non-linear plasmon-enhanced photoionization of a nanoplasma in the near-field [3-5], the former being dominant for in-resonance and the latter for off-resonance irradiation. Modeling of the whole laser-nanoparticle interaction, together with the help of the shadowgraphic imaging and scattering techniques [3-5], give valuable insight on the mechanisms of cavitation at the nanoscale, leading to possible optimization of the nanostructure for bubble-based nanomedicine applications.

1- E. Boulais, R. Lachaine, A. Hatef, and M. Meunier, Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology C: Photochemistry Reviews 17, 26-49 (2013).

2- E. Bergeron, S. Patskovsky, D. Rioux, and M. Meunier, Nanoscale 7,17836-17847 (2015).

3- E. Boulais, R. Lachaine, and M. Meunier, Nano Letters 12, 4763-4769 (2012).

4- R. Lachaine, E. Boulais, and M. Meunier, ACS Photonics 1, 331-336 (2014).

5- C. Boutopoulos, A. Hatef, M. Fortin-Deschênes, and M. Meunier Nanoscale 7,11758-11765 (2015).

Photothermal manipulation of cells via heating of gold nanoparticles has proven to be an efficient tool for molecular delivery into cells via cell perforation with short laser pulses. We investigated a potential extension of this technique for cell stimulation of cardiomyocytes using a 532 nm and 850 ps laser system and a surface concentration of 0.5 μg/cm² of 200 nm gold nanoparticles. The gold nanoparticles were unspecifically attached to the cardiomyocytes after an incubation period of three hours. The laser irradiation leads to a temperature rise directly at the particles of several hundred degrees K which evokes bubble formation and membrane perforation. We examined the effect of laser based photothermal manipulation at different laser powers, with different calcium concentrations, and for a cardiomyocyte-like cell line (HL1 cells), neonatal rat cardiomyocytes and human embryonic stem cell (hESC)-derived cardiomyocytes. Fast calcium oscillations in HL1 cells were observed in the presence and absence of extracellular calcium and most pronounced in the area next to the laser spot after irradiation. Within the laser spot, in particular high laser powers led to a single rise in calcium over a time period of several seconds. These results were confirmed in stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes. In the presence of normal and high calcium concentrations, the spontaneous contraction frequency increased after laser irradiation in neonatal rat cardiomyocytes. Consequently, gold nanoparticle mediated photothermal cell manipulation via pulsed lasers may serve as a potential pacemaker-technique in regenerative approaches, next to optogenetics.

Surface functionalization is a rapidly growing application for industrial ultrafast lasers. There is an increasing interest for high throughput surface processing, especially for texturing and engraving large manufacturing tools for different industrial fields such as injection molding, embossing and printing. Hydrophobic and hydrophilic surfaces, colored or deep black metal surfaces can now be industrially produced. The engraving speed is continuously improving following improvements in beam scanning technology and high average power industrial ultrafast lasers. Several tenths of MHz for the laser repetition rate and several hundreds of meter per second for the beam speed are available. More than 100 m/s scanning speed is then possible for laser surface structuring. But these surfaces are quite hard to produce since it is necessary to have a good compromise between high removal rate and high surface quality (low roughness, burr-free, narrow heat affected zone). In this work, we apply a simple engineering model based on the two temperature description of ultra-fast ablation to estimate key processing parameters. In particular, the pulse-to-pulse overlap which depends on the scanning velocity, the spot size, and the laser repetition rate all have to be adjusted to optimize the depth and roughness, otherwise heat accumulation and heat affected zone may appear. Optimal sequences of time and spatial superposition of pulses are determined and applied with a polygonal scanner. Ablation depth and processing speed obtained are compared with experimental results.

With the development of high average power, high repetition rate, industrial ultrafast lasers, it is now possible to achieve a high throughput with femtosecond laser processing, providing that the operating parameters are finely tuned to the application. Femtosecond lasers play a key role in these processes, due to their ability to high quality micro processing. They are able to drill high thickness holes (up to 1 mm) with arbitrary shapes, such as zero-conicity or even inversed taper, but can also perform zero-taper cutting. A clear understanding of all the processing steps necessary to optimize the processing speed is a main challenge for industrial developments. Indeed, the laser parameters are not independent of the beam steering devices. Pulses energy and repetition rate have to be precisely adjusted to the beam angle with the sample, and to the temporal and spatial sequences of pulses superposition. The purpose of the present work is to identify the role of these parameters for high aspect ratio drilling and cutting not only with experimental trials, but also with numerical estimations, using a simple engineering model based on the two temperature description of ultra-fast ablation. Assuming a nonlinear logarithmic response of the materials to ultrafast pulses, each material can be described by only two adjustable parameters. Simple assumptions allow to predict the effect of beam velocity and non-normal incident beams to estimate profile shapes and processing time.

Taking advantage of the inherent characteristics of femtosecond laser used for machining, we developed an interferometric system able to evaluate and correct the focal position with an accuracy of a few microns, implementing a technique based on low coherence interferometry. This approach measures at the exact spot that the laser is machining, in real time, and is sensitive to any sample that acts as a scatterer to the wavelength in use. The experimental evaluation was divided in two steps: in the first a system based on a superluminescent LED was mounted to check the viability and develop the controlling software; in the second part a setup was mounted employing a femtosecond laser, and several kinds of samples using the active focus control, among which the results obtained with glass sample and a bovine tooth are meticulously described in this paper. The system was able to improve the performance in both samples, keeping them in the confocal region for an extended positioning range, resulting in better engraving by the laser.

Flexible beam delivery can significantly simplify the necessary effort to connect a laser source to an application. While already a standard in high power cw-applications, ultrashort pulse applications in the ps to fs regime mainly relies on free space beam delivery to date. In the last years we have introduced and characterized a modular beam delivery system for ultrashort high energy pulses [1]. It is based on micro structured hollow core fibers that confine the light into a hollow core and thereby allow pulse delivery way above the damage threshold of silica with minimal influence on the pulse. Ultrafast pulses with pulse energies of several 100 μJ and average powers of several 100 W can be transmitted with high single mode beam quality. Additionally, nonlinear effects inside the fiber can be actively used to adjust pulse parameters on the fly, e.g. an effective pulse compression which increases the peak power even further.

Here we show the analysis of short pulse material processing using the flexible beam delivery. Results for sensitive processes as well as the active use of nonlinear spectral broadening are shown.

We show the angle-independent coloring of metals in air arising from nanoparticle distributions on metal surfaces created via picosecond laser processing. Each of the colors is linked to a unique total accumulated fluence, rendering the process compatible with industry. We report the coating of the colored metal surfaces using atomic layer deposition which is shown to preserve colors and provide mechanical and chemical protection Laser bursts are composed of closely time-spaced pulses separated by 12.8 ns. The coloring of silver using burst versus non-burst is shown to increase the Chroma, or color saturation, by 50% and broaden the color Lightness range by up to 60%. The increase in Chroma and Lightness are accompanied by the creation of 3 kinds of different laser-induced periodic surface structures (LIPSS). One of these structures is measured to be 10 times the wavelength of light and are not yet explained by conventional theories. Two temperature model simulations of laser bursts interacting with the metal surface show a significant increase in the electron-phonon coupling responsible for the well-defined LIPSS observed on the surface of silver. Finite-difference time-domain simulations of nanoparticles distributed on the high-spatial frequency LIPSS (HSFL) explain the increase in color saturation (i.e. Chroma of the colors) by the enhanced absorption and enriched plasmon resonances.

Electrospun nanofibers mats have a great potential in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. Their high porosity and enormous volume to surface ratio stimulate the growth and adhesion of mammalian cells and serve as a stable support structure. These suitable properties can be further optimized by structuring of the nanofibers. Ultrashort pulsed lasers can be used for modifying of the electrospun nanofibers without significant heat exposure. It seems also possible to generate very fine cuts from the fiber mats.

In this study, polyamide electrospun nanofibers samples were processed with picosecond UV-laser irradiation (λ = 355 nm, τ = 15 ps). The samples were processed in dry, wet and immersed condition. To optimize cutting and structuring of nanofiber tissue flakes, the influence of different laser parameters on line widths, edge quality, heat-affected zone (HAZ) and the contamination of the fibers by ablated particles (debris) were examined. One additional aim was the minimization of the flake size. It was possible to generate nanofiber flakes in the sub-millimeter range. The quality of the nanofiber flakes could be improved by ablation near the ablation threshold of the material. For cutting under wet conditions shrinking of the flakes has to be taken into account.

Ultrafast laser fabrication enables micro-structuring of diamond in 3D with a range of functionality. An ultrashort pulsed beam focused beneath the diamond surface induces structural modifications which are highly localised in three dimensions. At high pulse energy, the laser breaks down the diamond lattice at focus to form a graphitic phase. We demonstrate high resolution analysis of the structural changes revealing the graphitic phase to be formed of small clusters (~100 nm in size) of amorphous sp2 bonded carbon accompanied by localised cracking of the diamond. When the laser focus is traced through the diamond, continuous graphitic wires are created which are electrically conductive. We have used such wires to fabricate large-area 3D radiation sensors which have been employed for the detection of high energy protons. Such graphitic wires have an associated stress field and a related localised modulation of the refractive index. We have recently written combinations of graphitic tracks in diamond to engineer stress fields to give a desired refractive index distribution and form an optical waveguide. Type III waveguides are demonstrated that allow guiding of both polarization states. We also show that by reducing the laser pulse energy, it is possible to avoid complete breakdown of the diamond lattice and simply introduce an ensemble of vacancies within the focal volume. This can be used to create single coherent NV centres in diamond isolated in 3D. All these processes are improved by processing at high numerical aperture (NA), for which adaptive optics aberration correction is essential.

The nonlinear interactions of femtosecond lasers are driving multiple new application directions for nanopatterning and structuring of thin transparent dielectric films that serve in range of technological fields. Fresnel reflections generated by film interfaces were recently shown to confine strong nonlinear interactions at the Fabry-Perot fringe maxima to generate thin nanoscale plasma disks of 20 to 40 nm thickness stacked on half wavelength spacing, λ/2n_film, inside a film (refractive index, n_film). The following phase-explosion and ablation dynamics have resulted in a novel means for intrafilm processing that includes ‘quantized’ half-wavelength machining steps and formation of blisters with embedded nanocavities. This paper presents an extension in the control of interferometric laser processing around our past study of Si₃N₄ and SiO_x thin films at 515 nm, 800 nm, and 1044 nm laser wavelengths. The role of laser polarization and incident angle is explored on fringe visibility and improving interferometric processing inside the film to dominate over interface and / or surface ablation. SiO_x thin films of 1 μm thickness on silicon substrates were irradiated with a 515 nm wavelength, 280 fs duration laser pulses at 0° to 65° incident angles. A significant transition in ablation region from complete film removal to structured quantized ejection is reported for p- and s-polarised light that is promising to improve control and expand the versatility of the technique to a wider range of applications and materials. The research is aimed at creating novel bio-engineered surfaces for cell culture, bacterial studies and regenerative medicine, and nanofluidic structures that underpin lab-in-a-film. Similarly, the formation of intrafilm blisters and nanocavities offers new opportunities in structuring existing thin film devices, such as CMOS microelectronics, LED, lab-on-chips, and MEMS.

Femtosecond laser exposure of fused silica combined with chemical etching has opened up new opportunities for three-dimensional freeform processing of micro-structures that can form complex micro-devices of silica, integrating optical, mechanical and/or fluidic functionalities.

Here, we demontrate an expansion of this process with an additional fabrication step that enables the integration of three-dimensional embedded metallic structures out of useful engineering metals such as silver, gold, copper as well as some of their alloys. This additional step is an adaptation of the pressure infiltration for the insertion of high conductivity, high melting point metals and alloys into topologically complex, femtosecond laser-machined cavities in fused silica. This produces truly 3-dimensional microstructures, including microcoils and needles, within the bulk of glass substrates. Combining this added capability with the existing possibilities of femtosecond laser micromachining (i.e. direct written waveguides, microchannels, resonators, etc.) opens up a host of potential applications for the contactless fabrication of highly integrated monolithic devices that include conductive element of all kind.

We present preliminary results from this new fabrication process, including prototype devices that incorporate 3D electrodes with aspect ratios of 1:100 and a feature size resolution down to 2μm. We demonstrate the generation of high electric field gradients (of the order of 1013 Vm^-2) in these devices due to the 3-dimensional topology of fabricated microstructures.

Here we demonstrate the use of an advanced microfabrication technique, known as ultrafast laser inscription (ULI) with chemical etching, optimised for the fabrication of micro-optic systems in fused silica. ULI is a precision laser micromachining tool which relies on the high peak intensities associated with focused femtosecond pulses of light to locally modify the structure of a dielectric material. One manifestation of this modification is that the etch-rate of the modified regions can be increased by up to two orders of magnitude compared to that of pristine material, depending on the specific ULI parameters and the chemical etchant used. This capability means that ULI facilitates the repeatable fabrication of three-dimensional freeform structures in glass with micrometre resolution. Firstly, we present the results of investigations aimed at optimising the fabrication process and show that by controlling the laser polarisation during inscription, an etch-rate selectivity of 100 and a fivefold decrease in surface roughness can be achieved. We then demonstrate the characterisation of a microlens fabricated with optimum inscription parameters, including measurements of the lens surface profile, surface roughness and throughput, before demonstrating that the local surface roughness can be further decreased to below 5 nanometres by post-manufacture flame polishing.

Spatial Light Modulators (SLM) are emerging as a power tool for laser beam shaping whereby digitally addressed phase shifts can impose computer-generated hologram patterns on incoming laser light. SLM provide several additional advantages with ultrashort-pulsed lasers in controlling the shape of both surface and internal interactions with materials. Inside transparent materials, nonlinear optical effects can confine strong absorption only to the focal volume, extend dissipation over long filament tracks, or reach below diffraction-limited spot sizes. Hence, SLM beam shaping has been widely adopted for laser material processing applications that include parallel structuring, filamentation, fiber Bragg grating formation and optical aberration correction.

This paper reports on a range of SLM applications we have studied in femtosecond processing of transparent glasses and thin films. Laser phase-fronts were tailored by the SLM to compensate for spherical surface aberration, and to further address the nonlinear interactions that interplay between Kerr-lens self-focusing and plasma defocusing effects over shallow and deep focusing inside the glass. Limits of strong and weak focusing were examined around the respective formation of low-loss optical waveguides and long uniform filament tracks. Further, we have employed the SLM for beam patterning inside thin film, exploring the limits of phase noise, resolution and fringe contrast during interferometric intra-film structuring.

Femtosecond laser pulses of 200 fs pulse duration and 515 nm wavelength were shaped by a phase-only LCOS-SLM (Hamamatsu X10468-04). By imposing radial phase profiles, axicon, grating and beam splitting gratings, volume shape control of filament diameter, length, and uniformity as well as simultaneous formation of multiple filaments has been demonstrated. Similarly, competing effects of spherical surface aberration, self-focusing, and plasma de-focusing were studied and delineated to enable formation of low-loss optical waveguides over shallow and deep focusing conditions.

Lastly, SLM beam shaping has been successfully extended to interferometric processing inside thin transparent film, enabling the arbitrary formation of uniform or non-uniform, symmetric or asymmetric patterns of flexible shape on nano-scale dimensions without phase-noise degradation by the SLM patterning. We present quantized structuring of thin films by a single laser pulse, demonstrating λ/2nfilm layer ejection control, blister formation, nano-cavities, and film colouring. Closed intra-film nanochannels with high aspect ratio (20:1) have been formed inside 3.5 um thick silica, opening new prospects for sub-cellular studies and lab-in-film concepts that integrate on CMOS silicon technologies.

In the non-ablative regime, femtosecond laser pulse duration is known to affect the nature of the modification induced in the microstructure of fused silica. It has been demonstrated than below 200 fs, two different regimes are found, one at low energy, leading to bulk densification while the second one – for higher energy, leading to self-organized structure - nicknamed nanogratings - that induce a net and localized volume expansion of the material. The first regime is particularly interesting for waveguides fabrication, although, so far, the reported refractive index gain remains modest, typically within 10-3 relative net increase that limits the level of compactness for photonics circuits making use of it. Here, we investigate further how shorter pulses, i.e. in the sub-50 fs range, can increase the level of densification and in turn, the net refractive index gain, and possibly lead to an improve process for photonics device fabrication. First results show that indeed, higher level of densification can be obtained, level that we quantify, and that can be further correlated to a net increase of refractive index.

We report on ultrashort pulse induced welding of fused silica without previously optical contacting of the samples. We used a TruMicro 2020 by TRUMPF delivering bursts of intense ultrashort laser pulses with an individual pulse energy of up to 10 μJ, an intraburst pulse separation of 20 ns and a burst repetition rate of 200 kHz. With this setup we could realize a large pool of molten material with a length of up to 450 μm and a diameter of around 160 μm. If the laser focus is placed near the surface of a glass sample the low viscosity of the hot material induces bulging of the surface and ejection of the molten material. This molten material can be used to fill a gap of up to 3 μm between fused silica samples.

We also determined the breaking strength with a three-point bending test. The determined maximal value of 73 MPa is equivalent to 85% of the stability of the pristine bulk material.

Laser direct writing of optical devices and circuits is attracted attention because of its ability of three-dimensional fabrication without any mask[1]. Recently, Yb-fiber or solid-state laser has been commonly used for fabrication in addition to traditional Ti:S laser. However, it is reported that waveguide cannot be fabricated in fused silica by using the fundamental light from Yb-based femtosecond laser[2]. Some groups reported on waveguide fabrication by using second-harmonic beam of such lasers[3], but wavelength conversion using nonlinear process has drawbacks such as destabilization of laser power and beam deformation by walk off.

In this study, we investigated fabrication of low-loss waveguide in fused silica by using the fundamental beam (1030nm) from an Yb solid-state femtosecond laser with a pulse duration of 250 fs. The NA of focusing objective lens was 0.42. The fabricated waveguide was made to have a circular cross-section by shaping laser beam with a slit[4]. We fixed repetition rate to 150 kHz, and identified appropriate scan speed and pulse energy for fabrication of low loss waveguide. Waveguide fabricated with appropriate condition had a propagation loss of 0.2 dB/cm, and this is the first report on optical waveguides in a fused silica fabricated by femto-second laser pulses at a wavelength of 1030nm.

[1]K. M. Davis, et. al., Opt. Lett 21, 1729(1996)

[2]J. Canning, et. al., Opt. Mater. Express 1, 998(2011)

[3]L. Shah, et. al., Opt. Express 13, 1999(2005)

[4]M. Ams, et. al., Opt. Express 13, 5676(2005)

Multifunctional lab in fiber technology seeks to translate the accomplishments of optofluidic, lab on chip devices into silica fibers. a robust, flexible, and ubiquitous optical communication platform that can underpin the ‘Internet of Things’ with distributed sensors, or enable lab on chip functions deep inside our bodies. Femtosecond lasers have driven significant advances in three-dimensional processing, enabling optical circuits, microfluidics, and micro-mechanical structures to be formed around the core of the fiber. However, such processing typically requires the stripping and recoating of the polymer buffer or jacket, increasing processing time and mechanically weakening the device. This paper reports on a comprehensive assessment of laser damage in urethane-acrylate-coated fiber. The results show a sufficient processing window is available for femtosecond laser processing of the fiber without damaging the polymer jacket. The fiber core, cladding, and buffer could be simultaneously processed without removal of the buffer jacket. Three-dimensional lab in fiber devices were successfully fabricated by distortion-free immersionlens focusing, presenting fiber-cladding optical circuits and progress towards chemically-etched channels, microfluidic cavities, and MEMS structure inside buffer-coated fiber.

Kerr-lens self-channelling of femtosecond laser light offers a novel high-aspect geometry for laser processing inside transparent materials. In glass materials, the laser filaments enable white-light continuum generation, scribing, nanochannel formation, and refractive index modification. In the present work, refractive index matching oils were applied around optical fiber to eliminate astigmatic aberration and thereby form highly symmetric and uniform filaments selectively in the cladding or core waveguide of standard single-mode optical fibre (SMF-28). Under tight focusing, long filaments exceeding 20 um length were formed with single pulses to sub-micron diameter. Arrays of 0.5 um spaced filaments are verified by formation of strong fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs). Flexible positioning of the filament arrays within the fiber core offers wide scope for coupling to cladding and radiation modes and creating new types of in-fibre optical devices.

Non-ablative, femtosecond laser process ClearShape^TM from Spectra-Physics for cutting transparent, brittle materials is based on producing a micron-sized material modification track with well-defined geometry. Although this process allows cutting by using relatively low average power of 4 W, for further improvement of the process we have studied how to make an efficient usage of higher average power and higher pulse energy available from an industrial femtosecond laser systems. In this paper, we give an overview of the machining results obtained using femtosecond Spirit HE. The high average power (<16 W) and high pulse energy (<120 μJ/pule) from Spirit HE allow us to achieve unprecedented cutting speed and quality for wide variety of transparent, brittle materials.

Ultrashort pulsed laser sources offer new possibilities in precise and efficient material processing. Deep understanding of the fundamental laser-material interaction aspects is of great importance. We report on pump-probe reflectometric investigations of the ablation process on molybdenum over the complete temporal process range from the pulse impact to the final steady state. The ablation process can roughly be separated in three sections. In the first tens of picoseconds mainly the optical material properties are changed without significant material motion. Between 50 ps and a few ns the irradiated material is bulging in a spallation or phase explosion process. The actual ablation by material ejection is observed at delay times greater than 20 ns. The transient reflectivity during and in the first tens of ps after the laser irradiation in conjunction with the transient absorption influences decisively the laser-matter interaction for example when working with longer pulse durations or double pulse sequences. Direct measurements of the absorption properties by ultrafast time-resolved ellipsometry at fluences close to the ablation threshold fluence are missing to date. In this paper, pump-probe ellipsometric measurements on molybdenum – complementing the pump-probe reflectometric measurements – are presented showing ultrafast changes of the complex refractive index N = n – ik including additional information on the absorption. The imaginary part k is reduced already after 10 ps by 50% representing an increase of the optical penetration depth by a reduction of the material density. These extensive investigations pave the road towards a better understanding of pulse duration dependent laser ablation efficiency, double or burst mode laser ablation and lattice modifications in the first ps after the laser pulse impact.

Interferometric femtosecond laser processing of thin dielectric films has recently opened the novel approach for quantized nanostructuring from inside the film, driven by the rapid formation of periodic thin nanoscale plasma disks of 20 to 45 nm width, separated on half-wavelength, λ/2nfilm, spacing (refractive index, nfilm). The nano-disk explosions enable intra-film cleaving of subwavelength cavities at single or multiple periodic depths, enabling the formation of intra-film blisters with nanocavities and the digital ejection at fractional film depths with quantized-depth thickness defined by the laser wavelength.

For this paper, the physical mechanisms and ablation dynamics underlying the intra-film cleavage of SiO_x thin films were investigated by laser pump-probe microscopy with high temporal dynamic range recorded in a wide time-frame between 100 fs and 10 μs. The long time scales revealed a new observation method as Newton's Rings (observed <~50 ns) gave way to holographic recording (>~50 ns) of the laser-ablated film fragments. For the first time to our knowledge, the holographic tracking reveals the clustering of large mechanically ejected nano-film planes into distinct speed groups according to the multiple of λ/2nfilm in the film. The observation verifies a new ‘quantized’ form of photo-mechanical laser “lift-off”.

Glass processing with ultrashort laser pulses allow for different material modifications, ranging from smooth refractive index changes which can be used for the generation of waveguides up to large disruptions due to accumulates stress for glass separation. These disruptions, generated by a dense electron plasma, are favored for glass dicing applications. To tailor the resulting material response a fundamental understanding of the laser/material interaction is of interest. Therefore, we analyze the spatio-temporal evolution of free carriers induced by ultrashort laser pulses using a pump-probe setup with high temporal and spatial resolution and various probe wavelengths.

Single laser pulses with 1026nm wavelength, 6ps (FWHM) pulse duration and 200μJ pulse energy were applied to fused silica, Borofloat 33 and Gorilla glass. Electron densities around 1 x 1020cm^-3 in the focal plane and 1 x 1019cm^-3 in front of the focus are obtained, independent from the glass type used.

The free carriers slowly decay within several ns, while the decay time depends on both the maximum electron densities reached and glass species. In this process a part of the excited electrons relax within several 10ps into a long-living stage where a transient effect is observed. Here, various probe wavelengths show differences in the recorded signal.

A further carrier relaxation leads to permanent (stress, voids) and non-stable (color center) modifications crucial for precise glass dicing applications.

Atmospheric-free bodies of the solar system are undergoing several processes that alter their original spectral characteristics. The whole of these processes is the so-called space weathering. The surface of such bodies is exposed to the solar wind irradiation and to the ongoing bombardment of micrometeoroids yielding material modifications at the micro- and nanometer scale. In order to understand these processes and clarify the influence on spectral reflectance and absorption, numerous experimental approaches using ion and laser irradiation have been presented so far. However, up to this date, basic damaging mechanisms are still unresolved or cannot be completely reproduced.

In this work, we present the application of ultra-short laser pulses as a tool to reproduce space weathering, with focus on micrometeoroid impacts. In our experiments, slices of single-crystal olivine were irradiated under vacuum condition using 100 fs single-shot laser pulses. In order to perform spectral measurements, the laser-damaged regions were distributed over the sample surface within a grid geometry. After laser processing, a comprehensive study was performed by using spectroscopic measurements in the NUV-vis-NIR range, white light interferometry, SEM and TEM analysis. The cross-sections of the laser-generated craters reveal different layers including from the top to the bottom: an amorphous layer, two polycrystalline layers with different textures, and a defect-rich olivine substrate. Moreover, iron nanoparticles occur within the lower part of the amorphous layer and the polycrystalline layer. We can reproduce microcraters whose morphology, microstructure, and distribution of iron nanoparticles are similar to those found in the soil samples of the Moon or of the asteroid 25143 Itokawa.

Single-laser-shot femtosecond rotational coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (fs-RCARS) temperature measurements are performed across a 6-mm line in a turbulent, sooting ethylene jet flame to characterize temperature gradients. A 60- fs pulse is used to excite many rotational Raman transitions in N₂, and a 160-ps pulse is used to probe the Raman coherence. The spatial resolution of the measurements is 500 μm in the direction of beam propagation and 50 μm in the transverse directions. Measurements have been performed at multiple locations in the jet flame, and the measured temperature are similar to previously recorded point measurements. Future work will include performing simultaneous laser-induced incandescence (LII) measurements to measure soot volume fraction to perform joint statistical analysis of the sooting turbulent flame.

Femtosecond time-resolved, fully resonant electronically enhanced coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (FREECARS) spectroscopy, incorporating a two-color ultraviolet excitation scheme, is used to demonstrate chemically selective and sensitive detection of gas-phase species, including nitric oxide (NO) and the hydroxyl (OH) radical. The observed time-dependent, spectrally resolved CARS signal contains rich structure that depends both on the rovibronic states accessed within the bandwidth of the initial (pump) excitation pulse and the Raman-active rovibrational levels within the vibrationally excited ground electronic state that are accessed following interaction with the second (Stokes) excitation pulse. By comparing experimental spectra to computational simulations, therefore, this approach also allows simultaneous determination of local temperature associated with the thermal distribution of initial states under singlelaser- shot conditions. For OH radical detected in a reacting flow, spectral resolution of the emitted FREE-CARS signal allows simultaneous single-shot detection of relative OH mole fraction and temperature in a laminar ethylene–air flame at 1-kHz repetition rates. By comparison to previously reported OH concentration and temperature measurements, we demonstrate excellent single-shot temperature accuracies (~2% deviation from adiabatic flame temperature) and precisions (~2% standard deviation), with simultaneous relative OH concentration measurements that demonstrate high detection sensitivity (100–300 ppm).

Application of time-resolved ultrashort-pulse-laser–based laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) is proposed for diagnostics in hydrocarbon flames at elevated pressures. Earlier study in nanosecond-laser–based LIBS for measuring fuel-to-air (F/A) ratios in stable hydrocarbon flame at high pressures is reported to have high measurement instabilities. A correlated measurement of time-resolved LIBS and electron number density measurement is carried out to develop an understanding of the source of the aforesaid measurement instability. The planned correlated measurements of LIBS and electron number density with short picosecond to femtosecond excitations have potentials to significantly reduce the instability in F/A ratio measurements at high pressure.

Multi-megawatt ultrafast laser systems at micrometer wavelength are commonly used for material processing applications, including ablation, cutting and drilling of various materials or cleaving of display glass with excellent quality. There is a need for flexible and efficient beam guidance, avoiding free space propagation of light between the laser head and the processing unit. Solid core step index fibers are only feasible for delivering laser pulses with peak powers in the kW-regime due to the optical damage threshold in bulk silica. In contrast, hollow core fibers are capable of guiding ultra-short laser pulses with orders of magnitude higher peak powers. This is possible since a micro-structured cladding confines the light within the hollow core and therefore minimizes the spatial overlap between silica and the electro-magnetic field. We report on recent results of single-mode ultra-short pulse delivery over several meters in a lowloss hollow core fiber packaged with industrial connectors. TRUMPF’s ultrafast TruMicro laser platforms equipped with advanced temperature control and precisely engineered opto-mechanical components provide excellent position and pointing stability. They are thus perfectly suited for passive coupling of ultra-short laser pulses into hollow core fibers. Neither active beam launching components nor beam trackers are necessary for a reliable beam delivery in a space and cost saving packaging. Long term tests with weeks of stable operation, excellent beam quality and an overall transmission efficiency of above 85 percent even at high average power confirm the reliability for industrial applications.

We describe an optical parametric chirped pulse amplifier (OPCPA) architecture built around a state of the art Yb-doped fiber femtosecond pump source delivering 300 fs 400 μ pulses at a repetition rate 125 kHz (50 W average power) and a central wavelength of 1030 nm. The short pump pulse duration compared to bulk Yb:YAG or Nd:YVO4 based systems results in a number of important advantages. First, it allows efficient seeding at 1550 nm using supercontinuum generation directly from the pump pulses in a bulk YAG crystal, resulting in extremely robust passive pump-signal synchronization. The short pump pulse duration also allows the use of millimeter to centimeter lengths of bulk materials to provide stretching and compression for the signal and idler, which minimizes the accumulation of higher-order spectral phase. Finally, the shorter pump pulse duration increases the damage peak intensity, permitting the use of shorter nonlinear crystals to perform the amplification, which increases the spectral bandwidth of the parametric process. Additional experiments are performed to sort out the phenomena that limit power scaling in MgO:PPLN crystals. The OPCPA stages are all operated in collinear geometry, allowing the use of both signal and idler without the introduction of angular chirp on the latter. These points result in the dual generation of 70 fs 23 μJ signal pulses at 1550 nm and 60 fs 10 μJ idler pulses at 3070 nm from a simple setup, with the added benefit of inherent CEP stability of the idler pulses.

We report on a Hollow Core-Photonic Crystal Fiber (HC-PCF) based high power ultra-short pulse laser beam delivery system (GLO-BDS) that combines ease-of-use, high laser-coupling efficiency, robustness and industrial compatible cabling. The GLO-BDS comprises a pre-aligned laser-injection head, a sheath cable protected HC-PCF and a modular fiber-output head. It enables fiber-core gas loading and evacuation in a hermetic fashion. 5 m long GLO-BDS were demonstrated for Yb USP laser, Ti:Sapphire laser and frequency-doubled Yb USP laser. They all exhibit a transmission coefficient larger than 80%, and a laser output profile close to single mode (M2 <1.3).

The dramatic progress in power-scaling of ultra-short pulse (USP) lasers and their growing use in industrial applications call for flexible and robust beam delivery systems (BDS) over several meters with no temporal or modal distortions. Inhibited coupling (IC) hypocycloid Kagome hollow-core photonic crystal fiber (HC-PCF) has recently proved to be an excellent solution for guiding these USP. In order to reduce further the attenuation of such fiber and then to increase the BDS capabilities, we report on an optimized IC Kagome HC-PCF exhibiting record loss level (8.5dB/km at 1030nm) associated with a 225nm wide 3-dB bandwidth and low bend sensitivity.

This work focuses on practical analysis of the Nonlinear Optical Loop Mirror (NOLM). This all-fiber device serves as a saturable absorbers for passive mode-locking in ultrashort pulse generation. It has a great potential for further development as it’s made in all fiber technology, and can be easily adapted to custom system.

We investigate and provide experimental results as well as characteristics of NOLM’s in several different setups. The all-fiber laser system used for testing produced femtosecond pulses with a positive chirp. We present reflection as a function of input power and as a function of the coupler’s coupling. Also, relevant spectral characteristics are shown. These results may be useful in further development of fiber laser systems and other applications.

Using a femtosecond pulsed laser system (pulse width = 100fs, repetition rate = 500 Hz, λ=800nm), a zero-order Bessel beam was generated using a LCOS-Spatial light modulator (LCOS-SLM) with an effective cone angle of 4.56°. Ablation threshold studies of fresh bovine and ovine load bearing cortical bone was identified using the method of least damage and found to be identical at _φth = 0.15 ± 0.03 J cm^-2, irrespective of the target species. The ablation threshold is significantly reduced compared to the ablation threshold determined for Gaussian beams in bovine and ovine cortical bone (Load Bearing: _φth = 0.91 ± 0.03 J cm^-2, Skull: _φth = 1.19 ± 0.06 J cm^-2). Incubation effects were investigated and the incubation coefficient was determined to be ζ = 0.93 ± 0.06, indicating no incubation effects are present. The relationship between tissue removal and the number of pulses applied was explored. By altering the translation rate of the sample under the Bessel region of the incident laser, the number of pulses applied at each point along the linear ablation features was varied. Cross sections of ablation features were measured using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and maximum depths of the ablation features measured. The ablation rate of bovine and ovine cortical was found to be 2.69 – 13.21 ± 0.05 μm pulse^-1 and 2.49 – 12.79 ± 0.03 μm pulse^-1 respectively for fluence values ranging from 25.0 – 2.5 Jcm^-2, significantly higher than those of Gaussian beams. Structural analysis of the ablation features using SEM and optical microscopy showed no signs of heat affected zone (HAZ) in the form of thermal shockwave cracking, molten debris deposition or charring of the tissue.

Reference standards with well-defined femtosecond two-photon absorption (2PA) properties facilitate accurate measurement of nonlinear-optical spectra by bypassing tedious characterization of the photon flux. The 2PA standards are increasingly used for developing advanced multi-photon fluorescent probes and, since recently, also for probing intra- and intermolecular electrostatic interactions. We have recently reported 2PA cross section values of a set of common organic dyes in different solvents in 680-1050 nm wavelength range with estimated accuracy of 8%. In the present work, we aim at further improving the accuracy and fidelity of the absolute 2PA cross section data by comparing in a pair-wise manner the relative 2PA efficiency of nine standards with partially overlapping absorption- and fluorescence emission spectra. We measure the relative 2PA-induced fluorescence for each pair under identical excitation conditions, which allows revealing inconsistencies potentially present in the previously published data due to errors in estimating the excitation laser beam spatial- and temporal profile, pulse energy and other critical parameters. Our current measurements confirmed and in some cases improved previously reported error margins thus improving the fidelity of the reference data. We also present refined 2PA cross section data on 9-Chloroanthracene in dichloromethane.

Experimentally investigated limit of detection Mg, Al, Sr, Pb. depending on the pulse repetition rate femtosecond Ti: Sa laser optical breakdown in aqueous solutions on the surface of the investigated element in the laser pulse duration 60 fs, pulse energy of 1 mJ. The study was conducted for the laser pulse repetition rate of 50 Hz, 150 Hz, 250 Hz. To choose the optimal time delay of registration relative to the laser beam for the following chemicals Na, N, Fe, Ca, Mg, Al, Pb, Mn.

Biodegradability is a key property of biodegradable polymers for tissue scaffold applications. Among the methods to control biodegradability, laser processing is a simple technique, which enables the alteration of biodegradability even after molding. Since ultrafast laser processing realizes precise processing of biodegradable polymer with less heat affected zone, ultrafast laser processing has the potential to fabricate tissue scaffolds and to control its biodegradability. In this study, we investigate the effect of femtosecond laser wavelength on the biodegradability of PLGA. We evaluated the biodegradability of PLGA irradiated with femtosecond laser pulses at the wavelength of 800, 400, 266 nm by the measurement of the change in mass of PLGA during water immersion. The results of degradation tests indicate that PLGA irradiated with the shorter wavelength show faster water absorption as well as rapid mass decrease. Since the results of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis indicate that the chemical bonds of PLGA irradiated with the shorter wavelength are dissociated more significantly, the acceleration of the biodegradation could be attributable to the decrease in molecular weight by chemical bond breaking.

One of the main strengths of ultrafast laser machining is its ability to produce very high resolution cuts. This is useful in a range of fields for manufacturing purposes, however being able to incorporate two photon absorption (TPA) to further enhance this would allow even smaller fabrication. In this study we look at the effect of doping amorphous polycarbonate with two different molecules (R1 and R2) which have been identified to have a high TPA cross-section. Using the diameter regression (D²) technique, we observe a notable decrease in the ablation thresholds as dopant concentration increases from 0 – 10%. In addition, these results provide a measurement of effective beam waist (ω_eff). Beam waist values for R2 doped samples show a decrease to half the reference, which can be linked to an increase in the occurrence of multiphoton absorption.

Linear ablation features produced at identical peak powers and pulse numbers show improved machining resolution as dopant concentration increases. This increase in resolution is more prolific for R2 than R1 despite their similar TPA cross sections. We believe that this is due to the relative bandgaps of the materials causing three photon absorption for R2 whereas multiphoton absorption is limited to the second order process for R1. This means by doping appropriate materials with these molecules it is possible to improve resolution whilst maintaining most properties of the main material.

Lidar daylight measurements are limited by sky background noise (BGN). Reducing the BGN is essential to improve Lidar signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). We report on an optimization technique to improve SNR in a monostatic/biaxial and bistatic Lidar systems by redesigning the geometrical scheme of Lidar receiver. A series of simulations to calculate the overlap area between both transmitter and receiver field of view (FOV) is conducted to determine optimal receiver aperture shapes, locations, and sizes within different lidar ranges. Techniques to vary receiver aperture shape, position, and size to accommodate backscattering signals over a given range, to maximize Lidar SNR, is introduced. At the same short range, numerical results show a better GF of the bistatic compared to the monostatic/biaxial configurations. A complete comparison between monostatic/biaxial and bistatic configurations, for low altitude measurements between 0.1km and 2km, is discussed.