Rare earth-, transition metal- and metal doped soda lime-, BK7- and photosensitive lithium aluminosilicate glass are irradiated by pulsed UV laser radiation (wavelength λL = 355nm, pulse length tp = 10 to 80 ns) as a function of repetition rate, pulse energy and overlap between successive pulses. The solid state laser radiation is focused into the volume to fluences below the removal-threshold. Depending on the chemical composition, the laser parameters, and the processing variables the laser radiation is absorbed by optically- and photochemically active polyvalent ions with conversion of the optical energy into fluorescence stimulation and ionization as well as color center formation resulting in modifications and/or color markings in the VIS. The absorption and concentration changes of the polyvalent ions are probed by optical spectroscopy and transient absorption spectroscopy. The photochemical and -physical processes such as oxidation and reduction of polyvalent ions and/or color center generation underlying the modifications and color markings are discussed.

High quality templates of three-dimensional photonic crystals were fabricated in photoresist SU-8 using femtosecond laser lithography. The templates have woodpile and spiral architectures, which are widely expected to yield spectrally wide and robust photonic band gaps. Their optical characterization reveals fundamental and higher-order photonic stop-gaps in the infrared wavelength range of 2.0–8.0 μm. These templates are mechanically stable, nearly free of shrinkage-related deformations, and can be used for subsequent infiltration by optically active or high refractive index materials.

Direct, point-by-point inscription of fiber Bragg gratings by infrared femtosecond laser is reported. Using this technique, highly reflective gratings can be rapidly inscribed in standard, untreated fiber. Thermal studies demonstrate increased thermal stability compared to the UV-inscribed gratings.

3D microstructuring of photosensitive glass is demonstrated by femtosecond (fs) laser for lab-on-a-chip manufacture. True 3D hollow microstructures embedded in the glass are fabricated by the fs laser direct write followed by heat treatment and successive wet etching. A variety of microcomponents for a lab-on-a-chip device like a microfluidics, a microvalve, a microoptics, a microlaser, etc. are fabricated by using this technique. The fs laser direct write process is also applied for selective metallization of internal walls of the hollow microstructures embedded in the glass for electric control of movement of the micromechanical components in the lab-on-a-chip device.

This study is motivated by recent applications of ultra-short laser pulses to the manipulation of structures on the atomic scale. It describes the energies and the time-scale needed to induce and to observe such changes. The structures adopted to this purpose are taken from the field of silicon nanotechnology and consist on monotaomic wires and small clusters of a columnar shape. These last ones are covered on both sides with an aluminum overlayer and can be regarded as the finite-size analogous of macroscopic electronic devices. The effect of laser is simply described as an increase of the kinetic energy in the nuclear subsystem. The calculations are based on real-time, real-space implementation of the semiempirical Hartree-Fock theory. The results show the occurrence of phenomena similar to recristallization and melting in the bulk and illustrate the dependence of these effects on the energy input and on the cluster size and composition.

In experiments with rare-earth-doped fibers impressively results have been demonstrated and shown that fiber lasers and amplifiers are an attractive and power scalable solid-state laser concept. With ytterbium-doped large-mode-area double-clad fibers, output powers approaching the kW-range with diffraction limited beam quality have been realized in the continuous regime. Also in the pulsed regime, even for femtosecond pulse duration average output powers in the range of 100 W have been demonstrated. Further power scaling is limited by the end facets damage, thermo-optical problems or nonlinear effects. To overcome these restrictions microstructured fibers can be used. This type of fibers has several new preferable features. In our contribution we will discuss the advantages of microstructured fibers to reduce nonlinear effects inside the fiber and the possibility to scale the output power of fiber lasers and amplifiers with excellent beam quality. We also show fiber based chirped pulse amplification system (CPA-System) with ultra short pulses, pulse energies of up to 100 μJ and high repetition rates.

New nanomaterials such as nanobump array, nanomesh, nanobelt were generated from thin film processed by interfering femtosecond laser beams. Metallic single- or multi-layered film deposited on a silica substrate was used as a raw thin film. With four interfering femtosecond laser beams, a conical nanobump arrayed in a matrix was generated with single laser shot. As the femtosecond laser fluence increased, the nanobump increased in diameter and height, and a bead was found at the top. Moreover, with three or two interfering femtosecond laser beams, ellipsoidal or linear nanobump array was generated. As an application of a conical nanobump array, field emission from the nanobump array was demonstrated, and the I-V characteristics were measured. On the other hand, with much higher fluence and four interfering femtosecond laser beams, a nanohole array was generated. A nanomesh was also generated from the nanohole array by exfoliating the film. A grating was generated with two interfering femtosecond laser beams, and nanobelts were generated from the grating by exfoliating. Bimetallic nanobelt was also generated from multi-layered thin film.