Wiring light with femtosecond laser pulses

Abstract:

Shortly after the invention of the laser, researchers discovered that intense laser pulses can cause dielectric breakdown and structural change in materials. This breakdown was generally considered a tremendous nuisance, hindering both research and the development of more powerful lasers. Several decades later, however, laser-induced dielectric breakdown inside materials is wiedely used to create internal structural change. It is in this arena that lasers really stand out, as they afford the opportunity that no mechanical tool can: the processing of the bulk of a material without affecting its surface. Recent advances in this area of research make it possible to wire light from one point to another inside a transparent material, opening the door to the manufacturing of entirely monolithic, integrated optical circuitry.