Surface and bulk nanostructuring of insulators by ultrashort laser pulses
Abstract
The overall idea here is to model very short intense laser pulses interacting with insulators, and how they might be used at the nanolevel to machine materials, but also what the resulting currents and effects are on this kind of matter. More specifically: The interaction of intense laser beams with matter is defined as one of the "eleven greatest unanswered questions of physics" by the Committee of Physics of the Universe of the American Academy of Sciences. The problems to be addressed in this proposal are related to the generation of high electronic densities that by means of complex mechanisms can modify the irradiated materials in a desired way. Experimental and theoretical research will be conducted to reveal features of femtosecond laser nanostructuring surfaces and bulk of dielectrics for nanophotonic applications. The challenge in laser nanostructuring of dielectric surfaces is metallization (dense electron-hole plasma excitation) of a surface layer to support surface plasmon-polariton propagation, while deposited energy density should be lower than its characteristic ablation energy density. For the formation of bulk channels the dielectric material should undergo ablation. Hence, it is crucial to search for femtosecond laser irradiation regimes, supporting surface metallization and nanostructuring without ablation, as well as those supporting ablation in bulk dielectrics in terms of laser fluences, wavelengths, pulsewidths and proper target materials for nanostructuring.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Mar 23, 2016
- Source ID
- FA95501510197
Entities
People
- Tzveta Apostolova
Organizations
- Air Force Office of Scientific Research
- Institute for Nuclear Research and Nuclear Energy
- United States Air Force