Researchers have developed a groundbreaking laser technique that allows for detailed sculpting of glass at a microscopic level.
This new approach, created by a team led by Professor Xu from Southern University of Science and Technology, uses a multi-focus laser to craft precise grooves and patterns on glass surfaces, which can be used in various advanced technologies.
Glass is a popular material in optical and electronic devices because of its durability, low cost, and excellent optical properties.
However, working with glass is tricky due to its hardness and brittleness.
For example, creating tiny glass structures like cylindrical lenses or microgrooves, often used in devices like optical connectors and microfluidic chips, is very challenging.
These structures need to be precisely shaped, and making them in large quantities has been difficult with traditional methods.
The research team’s solution is to use an ultrafast laser, which has an incredibly high power for very short bursts.
This makes it possible to sculpt the glass without causing too much heat, avoiding damage, and creating smooth, precise structures.
However, single-spot laser methods were too slow and didn’t always produce the best surface quality. This is where the new multi-focus laser approach shines.
By shaping the laser beam into multiple focus points, the researchers could engrave complex shapes much faster and with greater accuracy.
The laser can now create grooves with a wide range of cross-sections, including trapezoidal, triangular, and semicircular shapes, giving designers more flexibility in how they use glass in their devices.
One of the key challenges in glass micromachining is controlling the shape and accuracy of the grooves, especially when dealing with the way light bends through glass.
The research team tackled this by developing a special algorithm that corrects any deviations in the laser’s focus and ensures that the energy from the laser is evenly distributed across the glass surface.
This results in highly accurate grooves that perfectly match the intended design.
Additionally, after the laser sculpts the glass, chemical etching is used to further refine the grooves, making the process even more efficient.
This technique is not only a big step forward for glass manufacturing but also has practical applications in industries like optical fiber packaging, where precise glass structures are essential. The new method could lead to innovations in technologies that rely on finely structured glass components.
In summary, this laser-based technique makes it much easier and faster to create intricate glass designs with a wide range of shapes, paving the way for future advancements in optics, electronics, and other industries.
