Abstract
We demonstrate that a femtosecond laser pulse strongly focused in air can produce a highly symmetric damage pattern on glass. This damage pattern contains a series of near-perfect radial rings, with diameters much larger than the predicted focal spot diameter. These rings disappear when the experiment is conducted in vacuum, indicating atmospheric involvement. Surprisingly, the shape and size of the rings seem to be nearly independent of the shape of the generating laser beam, showing dramatic spatial mode cleaning. A “half moon” initial laser mode created by obscuring one side of the round beam produces rings of similar quality to those obtained with the unclipped beam. While spatial mode cleaning has previously been reported in filaments, this is the most dramatic demonstration of the effect that we are aware of. We argue that the effect is due primarily to ionization, in contrast to studies in longer filaments that attribute it to self-focusing.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
A. Braun, G. Korn, X. Liu, D. Du, J. Squier, G. Mourou, Opt. Lett. 20, 73 (1995)
A. Couairon, A. Mysyrowicz, Phys. Rep. 441, 47 (2007)
J. Kasparian, J.-P. Wolf, Opt. Exp. 16, 466 (2008)
G. Fibich, S. Eisenmann, B. Ilan, A. Zigler, Opt. Lett. 29, 1772 (2004)
J. Kasparian et al., Opt. Lett. 25, 1397 (2000)
H.R. Lange et al., Opt. Lett. 23, 120 (1998)
G. Méchain et al., Opt. Commun. 247, 171 (2005)
B. Prade et al., Opt. Lett. 31, 2601 (2006)
S.L. Chin, F. Théberge, W. Liu, Appl. Phys. B 86, 477 (2007)
S. Skupin et al., Phys. Rev. E 70, 046602 (2004)
R. Boyd, Nonlinear Optics, 2nd edn. (Academic Press, San Diego, 2003) p. 311–324
M. Rodriguez et al., Phys. Rev. E 69, 036607 (2004)
K.D. Moll, A.L. Gaeta, G. Fibich, Phys. Rev. Lett. 90, 203902 (2003)
S. Klimentov, P. Pivovarov, N. Fedorov, S. Guizard, F. Dausinger, V. Konov, Appl. Phys. B 105, 495 (2011)
S.L. Chin et al., Opt. Commun. 188, 181 (2001)
O.E. Martínez, IEEE J. Quant. Electron QE-23, 1385 (1987)
E.B. Treacy, IEEE J. Quant. Electron 5, 454 (1969)
H. Ward, L. Bergé, Phys. Rev. Lett. 90, 053901 (2003)
D. Bäurle, Laser Processing and Chemistry, 4th edn. (Springer, Berlin, 2011)
J. Bonse, J.M. Wrobel, K. –W. Brzezinka, N. Esser, and W. Kautek. Appl. Surf. Sci. 202, 272 (2002)
A. Borowiec, H.F. Tiedje, H.K. Haugen, Appl. Surf. Sci. 243, 129 (2005)
J. Bonse, A. Rosenfeld, C. Grbing, G. Steinmeyer, N. Mailman, G.A. Botton, H.K. Haugen, J. Appl. Phys. 106, 074907 (2009)
T.Y. Hwang, C. Guo, J. Appl. Phys. 108, 073523 (2010)
R. Rankin, C.E. Capjack, N.H. Burnett, P.B. Corkum, Opt. Lett. 16, 835 (1991)
P. Monot, T. Auguste, L.A. Lompré, G. Mainfray, C. Manus, J. Opt. Soc. Am. B 9, 1579 (1992)
A.E. Siegman, Lasers, [University Science Books (Sausalito, CA, 1986)
W.J. Smith, Modern Optical Engineering, 3rd edn (McGraw-Hill, New York, 2000)
G.A. Mourou, T. Tajima, S. Bulanov, Rev. Mod. Phys. 78, 309 (2006)
J.-F. Daigle et al., Appl. Phys. B 94, 249 (2009)
R. Courvoisier, V. Boutou, J. Kasparian, E. Salmon, G. Méjean, J. Yu, J.-P. Wolf, Appl. Phys. Lett. 83, 213 (2003)
W. Liu, J.-F. Gravel, F. Théberge, A. Becker, S.L. Chin, Appl. Phys. B 80, 857 (2005)
M. Mlejnek, E.M. Wright, J.V. Moloney, Opt. Lett. 23, 382 (1998)
B. Alonso, A. Zaïr, J. San Román, O. Varela, L. Roso, Opt. Exp. 18, 15467 (2010)
Acknowledgments
This work was supported by the United States Air Force Office of Scientific Research and the National Science Foundation (NSF). We are grateful to Biophotonic Solutions Inc. for providing a demo FemtoJock system to measure our pulse parameters.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Heins, A.M., Guo, C. Spatial mode cleaning in radically asymmetric strongly focused laser beams. Appl. Phys. B 113, 317–325 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00340-013-5483-5
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00340-013-5483-5