Laser beam welding setup for the coaxial combination of two laser beams to vary the intensity distribution

Deep-penetration laser beam welding is highly dynamic and affected by many parameters. Several investigations using differently sized laser spots, spot-in-spot laser systems, and multi-focus optics show that the intensity distribution is one of the most influential parameters; however, the targeted lateral and axial intensity design remains a major challenge. Therefore, a laser processing optic has been developed that coaxially combines two separate laser sources/beams with different beam characteristics and a measuring beam for optical coherence tomography (OCT). In comparison to current commercial spot-in-spot laser systems, this setup not only makes it possible to independently vary the powers of the two laser beams but also their focal planes, thus facilitating the investigation into the influence of specific energy densities along the beam axis. First investigations show that the weld penetration depth increases with increasing intensities in deeper focal positions until the reduced intensity at the sample surface, due to the deep focal position, is no longer sufficient to form a stable keyhole, causing the penetration depth to drop sharply.

Nonlinear Mixing of Two Laser Beams and THz Plasmons Generation in Graphene Coated Optical Fibre

Graphene is a most suitable material for Terahertz (THz) radiation generation. An efficient mechanism of THz surface plasmons (THz SPs) generation in graphene coated optical fibre by nonlinear mixing of two laser beams is proposed. The graphene coated fiber supports THz SPs with plasmon resonance in the THz regime and controllable by thickness of graphene and radius of optical fibre. The laser beams exert a difference frequency ponderomotive force on the electrons of the graphene. This ponderomotive force induces a nonlinear current in graphene which driving the difference frequency THz SPs. The normalized amplitude of THz SPs decreases with frequency as the nonlinear coupling gets weaker. The efficiency of the device is around 0.01% at a laser intensity of 3x1014 W/cm2. This scheme will be useful making the compact THz radiation source and THz plasmon sensor.

Sensitive Metal-Semiconductor Nanothermocouple Fabricated by FIB to Investigate Laser Beams with Nanometer Spatial Resolution

The focused ion beam (FIB) technique was used to fabricate a nanothermocouple (with a 90 nm wide nanojunction) based on a metal–semiconductor (Pt–Si) structure, which showed a sensitivity up to 10 times larger (with Seebeck coefficient up to 140 µV/K) than typical metal–metal nanothermocouples. In contrast to the fabrication of nanothermocouples which requires a high-tech semiconductor manufacturing line with sophisticated fabrication techniques, environment, and advanced equipment, FIB systems are available in many research laboratories without the need for a high-tech environment, and the described processing is performed relatively quickly by a single operator. The linear response of the manufactured nanothermocouple enabled sensitive measurements even with small changes of temperature when heated with a stream of hot air. A nonlinear response of the nanothermocouple (up to 83.85 mV) was observed during the exposition to an argon-laser beam with a high optical power density (up to 17.4 Wcm−2), which was also used for the laser annealing of metal–semiconductor interfaces. The analysis of the results implies the application of such nanothermocouples, especially for the characterization of laser beams with nanometer spatial resolution. Improvements of the FIB processing should lead to an even higher Seebeck coefficient of the nanothermocouples; e.g., in case of the availability of other suitable metal sources (e.g., Cr).

STUDIES OF PROCESSES OF THE PRECURSOR FORMATION FOR PRODUCTION OF CuAlO NANOCERAMICS AT THE EFFECT OF DOUBLE LASER PULSES ON AD1 AND M2 ALLOYS IN THE AIR ATMOSPHERE

Проведено исследование процессов образования смешанных нанопорошков Al, оксидов меди и алюминия, прекурсоров для получения нанокерамик типа CuAlO и CuAlO при воздействии сдвоенных лазерных импульсов энергией 53 мДж и между импульсным интервалом 10 мкс на мишень, состоящую из пластинок алюминия марки АД1 и меди марки М2, склеенных между собой и помещенную в закрытую стеклянную прямоугольную кювету. Установлено, что последовательное воздействие серий сдвоенных лазерных на мишень из алюминия, а затем на мишень из меди приводит к многократному увеличению выхода субоксидов AlO, ионов и атомов алюминия и меди в лазерном факеле, направляемом на подложку, при напылении пленок, по сравнению с воздействием одиночными лазерными импульсами. Изучены процессы, происходящие на поверхности подложки при напылении пленок. Показана возможность получения прекурсоров для получения нанокерамик типа CuAlO и CuAlO. A study of formation of mixed Al nanopowders, copper and aluminum oxides, and precursors for production of CuAlO and CuAlO nanoceramics under the influence of double laser pulses with energy of 53 mJ and the interpulse interval of 10 microseconds on a target consisting of plates of aluminum grade AD1 and copper grade M2, 0,4 mm thick, glued together and placed in a closed rectangular glass cuvette. It is found that the successive exposure of a series of double laser beams to an aluminum target and then to a copper target leads to a multiple increase in the yield of AlO suboxides, aluminum and copper ions and atoms in the laser torch, compared with the exposure to single laser pulses. To better understand the hidden mechanisms of this dependence, we study the processes occurring both on the surface and in the near-surface laser plasma inside the resulting microchannel when the target is broken by a series of single and double laser pulses. The possibility of obtaining precursors for the production of nanoceramics such as CuAlO, CuAlO is shown.

Optical Vortices Sharp Focusing by Silicon Ring Gratings Using High-Performance Computer Systems

The diffraction of vortex laser beams with circular polarization (with different direction of polarization rotation) by silicon ring gratings was investigated in this paper. The silicon diffractive axicons with different numerical apertures (NA) were considered as such ring gratings. The considered diffractive axicons are compared with single silicon circular protrusion (cylinder). The finite difference time domain method was used for Light propagation (3D) through the proposed silicon ring gratings and silicon cylinder. The possibility of subwavelength focusing by varying the height of the elements is demonstrated. In particular, it is numerically shown that a silicon cylinder forms a light spot with the minimum size (intensity) of the longitudinal component of the electric field FWHM is 0.32λ.

Investigation of the influence of optical nonlinearity on combining efficiency in ultrashort pulsed fiber laser coherent combining system

In this paper, the influence of optical nonlinearity on combining efficiency in ultrashort pulsed fiber laser coherent combining system is investigated theoretically and experimentally. In the theoretical work, a new theoretical algorithm for the coherent combining efficiency, which can be used to quantify the spectral coherence decay induced by optical nonlineary imbalance between the sub-beams, is presented. The spectral information of the sub-beam is obtained by numerically solving the nonlinear Schrödinger equation (NLSE) in this algorithm to ensure an accurate prediction. In the experimental work, the coherent combining of two all-fiber picosecond lasers is achieved, and the influence of imbalanced optical nonlinearity on the combining efficiency is studied, which agrees with the theoretical prediction. This paper reveals the physical mechanism for the influence of optical nonlinearity on the combining efficiency, which is valuable for the coherent combining of ultrashort pulsed fiber laser beams.

Investigation of 6S 1/2–8S 1/2 two-photon transition of cesium atoms by a single 822 nm laser

We experimentally investigate the 6S 1/2–8S 1/2 two-photon transition in cesium vapor by a single laser. A blue (455.5 and 459.3 nm) fluorescence signal is observed as a result of 822.5 nm laser beams illuminating the Cs vapor with a counter-propagating configuration. The dependences of the fluorescence intensity on the polarization combinations of the laser beams, laser power and vapor temperature are studied to obtain optimal experimental parameters. The frequency difference between the two hyperfine components of 4158 (7) MHz is measured with a Fabry–Perot interferometer as a frequency reference. Such a large spectral isolation and the insensitivity to the Earth’s magnetic field enable the 6S 1/2–8S 1/2 transition to be a stable frequency standard candidate for a frequency-doubled 1644 nm laser in the U-band window for quantum telecommunication.