Dimensional Analysis of Double-Track Microstructures in a Lithium Niobate Crystal Induced by Ultrashort Laser Pulses

• Published in: Photonics Vol. 10; no. 5; p. 582
• Main Authors: Gulina, Yulia, Zhu, Jiaqi, Gorevoy, Alexey, Kosobokov, Mikhail, Turygin, Anton, Lisjikh, Boris, Akhmatkhanov, Andrey, Shur, Vladimir, Kudryashov, Sergey
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Basel MDPI AG 01-05-2023
• Subjects: Analysis; Atomic force microscopy; Crystals; Dimensional analysis; Direct laser writing; Electric fields; Energy; femtosecond laser pulses; Gaussian beam focusing; Laser beams; Lasers; Lithium; Lithium niobate; Lithium niobates; Mathematical analysis; Microstructure; nonlinear optical interaction; Optical properties; Optics; Piezoelectricity; Propagation; Spatial discrimination; Spatial resolution; Topography; uniaxial birefringent crystal; Writing; Russia; United Kingdom > UK
• ISSN: 2304-6732; 2304-6732
• DOI: 10.3390/photonics10050582

Double-track microstructures were induced in the bulk of a z-cut lithium niobate crystal by 1030 nm 240 fs ultrashort laser pulses with a repetition rate of 100 kHz at variable pulse energies exceeding the critical Kerr self-focusing power. The microstructure topography was characterized by atomic force microscopy in piezoelectric response mode. The spatial positions of laser-induced modification regions inside lithium niobate in the case of laser beam propagation along the crystal optical axis can be directly predicted by simple analytical expressions under the paraxial approximation. A dimensional analysis of the morphology of the double-track structures revealed that both their length and width exhibit a monotonous increase with the pulse energy. The presented results have important implications for direct laser writing technology in crystalline dielectric birefringent materials, paving the way to control the high spatial resolution by means of effective energy deposition in modified regions.