Nanostructure formation on lithium niobate surfaces by high-repetition rate sub-15-fs near-infrared laser pulses

Martin Straub; Benjamin Weigand; Karsten König

doi:10.1117/12.906597

16 February 2012 Nanostructure formation on lithium niobate surfaces by high-repetition rate sub-15-fs near-infrared laser pulses

Martin Straub, Benjamin Weigand, Karsten König

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 8243, Laser Applications in Microelectronic and Optoelectronic Manufacturing (LAMOM) XVII; 82431B (2012) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.906597
Event: SPIE LASE, 2012, San Francisco, California, United States

Abstract

Due to its electro-optical, acousto-optical, ferroelectric, piezoelectric and nonlinear-optical properties lithium niobate is a material of high technological relevance. Thus, patterning of LiNbO₃ surfaces by laser light may significantly influence the performance of micro-optical devices made of this material. Here, we report on the generation of self-organized nanostructures on surfaces of unpoled LiNbO₃ crystals using tightly focused sub-15 fs pulsed Ti:Sapphire laser light (centre wavelength 800 nm, bandwidth 120 nm, repetition rate 85 MHz) at sub-nanojoule pulse energies. With the LiNbO₃ surface immersed in oil intensities close to the ablation threshold resulted in the formation of shallow ripples of 5 - 25 nm in height appearing at a periodicity of approximately 220 nm. The ripples were generated by local melting and resolidification of LiNbO₃ involving minor admixture of hydrocarbons. At intensities well beyond the ablation threshold the LiNbO3 surfaces were patterned densely with tiny cones of 100 - 500 nm in height featuring diameters of a few hundred nanometers. Moreover, lines scanned inside the LiNbO₃ crystals resulted in refractive index changes along the laser traces. In contrast, with the LiNbO₃ surface in air or water, ablation was not observed even at prolonged exposure due to aberrations of the focal spot.

Citation Download Citation

Martin Straub, Benjamin Weigand, and Karsten König "Nanostructure formation on lithium niobate surfaces by high-repetition rate sub-15-fs near-infrared laser pulses", Proc. SPIE 8243, Laser Applications in Microelectronic and Optoelectronic Manufacturing (LAMOM) XVII, 82431B (16 February 2012); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.906597

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