Femtosecond laser-materials interactions and applications to materials modification

超快激光在飞秒时间范围内产生极短的光脉冲，为广泛的基础研究和新的应用打开了大门。这些光脉冲的持续时间如此之短，以至于与固体中的相关物理过程相比，能量在时间框架内被传递到材料的速度更快。材料的改性可以在非常细小的长度尺度上实现，延伸到纳米区域。超短光脉冲还可以直接探索超快激光脉冲照射后目标演化的极快动力学。这项建议旨在开启飞秒激光烧蚀和微机械加工研究的新阶段，这是我们课题组近年来建立的。近期的项目包括硅光子学，包括碳纳米管在内的纳米级目标的修饰，以及固体表面的相干纳米结构。太赫兹辐射能力将用于探索激光加工动力学和目标的最终状态。我们的愿景是实现对光-物质相互作用的非常高水平的控制，并使超快激光处理的结果越来越可预测。中期项目将通过实施新的激光光束特性，极大地提高向目标提供能量的选择性。在那个阶段，我们计划通过先进激光光源的设施将这项工作扩展到中红外，从而探索激光辐射与材料之间新的相互作用机制。我们还将利用加拿大电子显微镜中心的尖端能力，在高分辨率透射电子显微镜上进行基本的现场实验。随着激光和光学技术的进步，以及对超快中红外的关键扩展，从长远来看，我们的研究计划将把我们带入生物物理学领域。在探索基金期间，我们的工作将大大增强基于激光的材料的改性能力，在光子学和电子应用的新材料、新的激光和光电子技术以及基础材料科学的进步方面将给加拿大带来好处。

Ultrafast lasers producing extremely short light pulses on the femtosecond time frame have opened the door to a wide range of fundamental studies and novel applications. The duration of these light pulses is so short that energy is delivered to a material on a time frame fast compared with the relevant physical processes in the solid. The modification of the material can be achieved on very fine length scales extending to the nanometer regime. Ultrashort light pulses also directly enable the exploration of the extremely fast dynamics of the evolution of the target following ultrafast laser pulse irradiation. This proposal aims to launch a new phase of investigation in femtosecond laser ablation and micromachining which has been established in our group in recent years. Near term projects involve silicon photonics, modification of nano-scale targets including carbon nanotubes, and coherent nano-structuring of solid surfaces. TeraHertz radiation capabilities will be utilized in exploring laser processing dynamics and the final state of the targets. Our vision is to achieve a very high level of control of the light-matter interactions with increasingly predictable outcomes of ultrafast laser processing. Medium term projects will greatly enhance the selectivity in energy delivery to the targets through implementation of novel laser beam properties. At that stage, we plan to extend the work into the mid-infrared via facilities of the Advanced Laser Light Source, thereby exploring qualitatively new interaction regimes between laser radiation and materials. We will also utilize the cutting-edge capabilities of the Canadian Centre for Electron Microscopy to conduct fundamental in-situ experiments in a high-resolution transmission electron microscope. With progress in laser and optical technologies, and key extensions into ultrafast mid-infrared, in the longer term we envision our research program taking us into the domain of biophysics. Our work through the period of the Discovery grant will lead to a much enhanced capability in laser-based materials modification, with benefits to Canada in terms of new materials for photonics and electronic applications, new laser and optoelectronic technologies, as well as advances in fundamental materials science.