In situ observation of dynamics of plasma self-channeling and bulk modification in silica glasses induced by a high-intensity femtosecond laser

The time-resolved dynamics of plasma self-channeling and refractive index bulk modification in silica glasses were first observed in situ using a high-intensity femtosecond (110 fs) Ti:sapphire laser (λp=790 nm). Plasma channeling is induced in silica glass at an irradiation higher than an input intensity of 1.5×1012 W/cm2 and photoinduces either the refractive-index modification or optical crack modification. In the domain of refractive-index modification, the lifetime of induced plasma self-channeling was 20 ps and the structural transition time for forming the refractive-index change was 10 ps. In the domain of optical cracks, however, the lifetime of induced plasma formation was 30 ps and the structural transition time for forming the optical cracks was 40 ps. According to electron spin resonance spectroscopic (ESP) measurement, it was found that the defect concentration of the SiE′ center increased significantly in the refractive index modification region. A maximum value of the refractive-index change Δn was measured to be 1.6×10-2. The intensity profile of the output beam transmitted through the refractive-index modification showed that the bulk modification produced a permanent optical waveguide.