Development of a Femtosecond Laser-Materials Irradiation and In-Situ Probing Facility for Nano- and Micro-Processing Applications and Student Training

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This grant provides support for the development of a femtosecond laser-materials irradiation and in-situ probing facility for nano- and micro-processing applications and student training at the University of Central Florida. The recent use of femtosecond lasers show promise for the fabrication of micro- and nano-scale microstructures within photo-active transparent media, particularly glasses. This new approach to microstructure fabrication has inherent advantages over conventional lithographic and mechanical assembly techniques for some applications, especially the fabrication of complex three-dimensional structures, such as micro-fluidic systems for aerospace and biological systems, and for optical waveguide structures for advanced photonic devices. It may also have major importance for the development of advanced micro-surgery applications. This project will establish a uniquely constructed femtosecond laser materials processing and in-situ optical probe diagnosis station, suitable for a variety of advanced micro-structural fabrication applications with concurrent assessment of material changes occurring to the written material. The station will comprise three basic components, (i) a state-of-the-art, optimally-configured MHz femtosecond processing laser, (ii) a high-speed, nanometer-precision, computer-controlled, three-axis optical processing stage incorporating advanced optical beam manipulation techniques, and (iii) a synchronized multiple-axis multi-wavelength probe and spectroscopic diagnostic system. The assembly of these multiple instruments into a comprehensive facility will provide the femtosecond laser-materials interaction community with a unique test bed for real-time studies of microstructures while under fabrication. The intellectual merit derived from the ability to dynamically probe photo-induced changes to understand both permanent and metastable (transient) time-dependent processes responsible for structure modification will be realized. The detailed knowledge of these fundamental processes will extend and accelerate the application of femtosecond laser-materials processing techniques in many diverse directions. The ability to diagnose materials modification changes with nanometer and femtosecond precision during the processing cycle will help elucidate the complex science involved, and lead to the identification of promising industrial, medical, defense and scientific applications of laser-written micro-structures. This system will be an excellent vehicle for student training. Graduate and undergraduate students will be employed in both the assembly and testing phase of this system, and in many of the physical, biological and materials science-related studies that will be performed with it. A large core group of initial users, from within UCF, other US and foreign universities, government laboratories and private industry, have subscribed to make use of the station once it is established. It will be located in the Laser Development Laboratory at University of Central Florida (UCF) School of Optics/CREOL. Once established, it will be operated as an open, cost-neutral, fee-based facility.