Transient response of dielectric materials exposed to ultrafast laser radiation

We present results describing several characteristics of energy coupling into dielectric materials (fused silica) irradiated by ultrashort laser pulses in a regime close to the surface optical breakdown threshold. The results intend to illustrate the energy balance in the interaction process by observing the spatio-temporal variations of a laser pulse transversing a dielectric slab as a function of its energy. The measurements are based on real-time observations of the self-action of the laser pulse and associated effects on its temporal envelope, as well as on ex-situ phase-contrast microscopy of induced permanent material reactions. The experimental results are accompanied by numerical simulations of the pulse traces inside the dielectric material at different energetic conditions. The optical observations allow insights into the development and the dynamics of the laser-induced free carrier population, emphasizing the role of the bulk effects related to the nonlinear wave propagation into the transparent material during laser exposure.