Recent Research Progress on Femtosecond Laser Induced Microstructures in Glasses

The availability of laser pulses with femtosecond duration allows materials to be subjected to higher light intensity than ever before, opening the door to the study of laser/material interactions in a new regime. Various microstructures induced by femtosecond laser have been reported, such as color centers, voids, and refractive index change. In this article, we review our recent research findings on the femtosecond laser induced microstructures in glasses, which are not only helpful for understanding the interaction process between the ultrafast laser and the glassy materials, but also valuable for the fabrication of integrated optical elements. © 2012 Copyright Taylor and Francis Group, LLC