Ultrafast Bessel beams: advanced tools for laser materials processing

International audienceUltrafast Bessel beams demonstrate a significantcapacity of structuring transparent materials with ahigh degree of accuracy and exceptional aspect ratio. Theability to localize energy on the nanometer scale (bypassingthe 100-nm milestone) makes them ideal tools foradvanced laser nanoscale processing on surfaces and inthe bulk. This allows to generate and combine micronand nano-sized features into hybrid structures that shownovel functionalities. Their high aspect ratio and theaccurate location can equally drive an efficient materialmodification and processing strategy on large dimensions.We review, here, the main concepts of generatingand using Bessel non-diffractive beams and their remarkablefeatures, discuss general characteristics of theirinteraction with matter in ablation and material modificationregimes, and advocate their use for obtaining hybridmicro and nanoscale structures in two and three dimensions(2D and 3D) performing complex functions. Highthroughputapplications are indicated. The example listranges from surface nanostructuring and laser cutting toultrafast laser welding and the fabrication of 3D photonicsystems embedded in the volume