Ionization clamping in ultrafast optical breakdown of transparent solids

Abstract

Internal modifications of transparent solid-state materials by intense, ultrashort laser pulses enable numerous applications in micromachining, photonics, and medicine. Understanding the highly nonlinear propagation of the laser beam through the interaction zone is important in developing these technologies. Here a comprehensive propagation model reveals that even under extremely tight focusing, the key physical quantities are rigidly clamped by plasma shielding, at values up to two orders of magnitude lower than those inferred from earlier studies. Potential routes to overcome the clamping limits are discussed.

Topics & Concepts