BURST-ULTRAFAST LASER MACHINING METHOD

摘要

A method of laser processing or laser modification of materials. The combination of ultrafast laser pulses and high-repetition rate (> 100 kHz ) bursts (or continuous operation) defines a new and unexpected regime for material processing. The high repetition rate controls thermal and/or other relaxatio n processes evolving between each ultrafast laser pulse that 'prepares' the sample surface or bulk to alter the interaction with subsequent ultrafast laser pulses and thereby improve or optimize the process, or enable a new process, that are n ot available at lower repetition rate. The addition of this laser-controlled thermal component, and/or the general control of relaxation processes , overcomes several current limitations of ultrafast laser processing at lower repetitio n rates (< 100 kHz), providing means to further harness the many attributes of ultrafas t lasers for general material processing and material modification application s.