Ultrafast Bessel beams; advanced tools for laser materials processing

TL;DR

Ultrafast Bessel beams are powerful tools for precise, high-aspect-ratio laser processing of transparent materials, enabling nanoscale structuring, hybrid micro/nano structures, and complex 3D functionalities with high throughput.

Contribution

This review introduces the generation and application of ultrafast Bessel beams for advanced laser materials processing, highlighting their unique features and broad application potential.

Findings

High precision nanostructuring of transparent materials

Generation of hybrid micro and nanoscale structures

Applications in surface nanostructuring, laser cutting, and 3D photonic systems

Abstract

Ultrafast Bessel beams demonstrate a significant capacity of structuring transparent materials with high degree of accuracy and exceptional aspect ratio. The ability to localize energy on the nanometer scale (bypassing the 100 nm milestone) makes them ideal tools for advanced laser nanoscale processing on surfaces and in the bulk. This allows to generate and combine micron and nano-sized features into hybrid structures that show novel functionalities. Their high aspect ratio and the accurate location can equally drive an efficient material modification and processing strategy on large dimensions. We review here the main concepts of generating and using Bessel non-diffractive beams and their remarkable features, discuss general characteristics of their interaction with matter in ablation and material modification regimes, and advocate their use for obtaining hybrid micro and nanoscale structures in two and three dimensions performing complex functions. High throughput applications are indicated. The example list ranges from surface nanostructuring and laser cutting to ultrafast laser welding and the fabrication of three dimensional photonic systems embedded in the volume.