Presentation Information
[9p-N102-4]Ultrafast Laser-Induced Birefringence: The Development and Applications to High-Density Data Storage and Durable Polarization Optics
〇Masaaki Sakakura1 (1.SPhotonix)
Keywords:
silica glass,birefringence,data storage
Ultrashort pulse laser irradiation can induce stable optical anisotropy inside fused silica, enabling three-dimensional birefringent structures with sub-micrometer precision. The first discovered birefringent stucture made of self-organized nanogratings suggred from strong light scattering, residual stress, and low processing efficiency due to the high pulse energy, which limited the application. Recently, the formation of new birefringent structures, including nanopores and nanocracks, has been discovered that overcome the limitation. These structures generate optical anisotropy with extremely low light scattering and higher process efficiency than nanograting-based structures. As the result, the practical potential of ultrafast laser-induced birefringence has expanded rapidly. This presentation review the development of birefringent structure formation in fused silica, from nanograting-based approaches to the latest low-loss, high-efficiency mechanisms. Recent demonstrations in high-density optical data storage and durable polarization optical elements will be highlighted, along with prospects for the solution of digital data crisis.