Photoionization of wide bandgap silicate glasses by ultrashort IR laser pulses

Leo A. Siiman; Julien Lumeau; Leonid B. Glebov

doi:10.1117/12.804984

30 December 2008 Photoionization of wide bandgap silicate glasses by ultrashort IR laser pulses

Leo A. Siiman, Julien Lumeau, Leonid B. Glebov

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 7132, Laser-Induced Damage in Optical Materials: 2008; 713205 (2008) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.804984
Event: Boulder Damage Symposium XL Annual Symposium on Optical Materials for High Power Lasers, 2008, Boulder, Colorado, United States

Abstract

We study the excitation of luminescence, photoionization, and laser-induced breakdown in a multi-component silicate photo-thermo-refractive (PTR) glass, and in fused silica. PTR glass is a high-purity homogeneous photosensitive alkalisilicate glass with intrinsic absorption edge at 5.8 eV (214 nm). Experiments are conducted with ultrashort laser pulses (100 fsec< τ < 1.5 psec) at the wavelengths 780 nm, 1430 nm, and 1550 nm. Filaments are observed inside both glasses and explained by a balance between Kerr self-focusing and free electron defocusing. Keldysh theory is used to model the formation of filaments and values of about 10¹³ W/cm² for laser intensity and 10¹⁹ cm^-3 for free-electron density are estimated. Laser-induced damage by pulses at 1430 nm and 1550 nm is detected in fused silica and PTR glass by third harmonic generation due to the formation of an interface between a damage site and the surrounding glass matrix. It is found that there is an intensity range where luminescence and photoionization in both glasses occurs without laserinduced damage.

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Leo A. Siiman, Julien Lumeau, and Leonid B. Glebov "Photoionization of wide bandgap silicate glasses by ultrashort IR laser pulses", Proc. SPIE 7132, Laser-Induced Damage in Optical Materials: 2008, 713205 (30 December 2008); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.804984

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