Laser Microfabrication Research Facility, Dynamic Optics and Photonics Group
Dynamic Optics and Photonics
Laser Microfabrication Research Facility
The Dynamic Optics and Photonics Group hosts a range of advanced adaptive laser fabrication systems, which have been established as a small research facility. This enables us to open-up our fabrication systems to interested parties from other research groups and industry to work together on a variety of applications. These may range from precision fabrication tasks to more advanced projects as part of broader research applications.
The fabrication facility is available for regular use as part of a long-term project or can be accessed for bespoke fabrication tasks on an as-required basis. Our capabilities include:
Three systems with ultrashort pulse lasers covering wavelengths of 515nm, 780nm and 1030nm, with a range of repetition rates from 80MHz to 1MHz. All systems include precision 3D translation stages and adaptive optics with a liquid crystal spatial light modulator. A variety of optical metrology methods assist the laser processing.
We specialise in high numerical aperture precision machining, working at NA>0.5 for highest resolution features.
These systems can be used for a variety of tasks including:
- in-volume 3D laser machining in transparent glasses, crystals and polymers;
- surface ablation and fiducial marking;
- fabrication of 3D calibration samples;
- laser assisted etching of glass;
- multiphoton polymerisation;
- fabrication inside optical fibres, including fibre Bragg Gratings.
Please contact Patrick Salter for more information or to discuss your requirements.
Example methods and applications
The use of adaptive optics enables control of the laser fabrication focus, including aberration correction, parallelisation and focal shaping.
The optical set-up of an adaptive optical laser fabrication system.
Laser-written optical waveguides systems incorporating fibre mode matching, adiabatic tapers and transformation of waveguide pitch. [1]
Cross section of large-scale laser-written waveguide array extended over a depth of 400 micrometres. [2]
Laser written fluorescence feature for use in microscopic imaging system calibration procedures. [3]
Deterministic laser writing of nitrogen vacancy colour centres in diamond. The false-colour fluorescence image shows high-yield fabrication of an array of single NV centers on a 2 μm square grid. These were fabricated using adaptive aberration corrected precision laser writing [4].