Pattern formation in transparent media using ultrashort laser pulses

We report results of a systematic study of the morphology of laser-written structures within transparent media like fused silica, borosilicate glass (BK7), and polymethylmethylacrylate (PMMA) using a high-energy, 5.1 MHz repetition rate, femtosecond laser oscillator. Depending on experimental conditions, both smooth channels as well as dot patterns can be laser-written. The periodicity of the written dots is readily controlled by the energy dose, a single parameter that encompasses laser energy, translation speed at fixed repetition rate, and focusing conditions. We discover the importance of the direction in which laser-writing is carried out: the periodicity of the dot patterns written at fixed energy dose but with opposite writing directions is significantly different. In PMMA, extremely large rod-like structures (∼200 μm) are observed whose formation is also dependent on writing direction. We quantify guidance of 632 nm and 830 nm light in structures written in BK7.