School of Engineering

PhD Thesis

Advanced polarization control for optimizing

ultrafast laser micro-processing

Thesis submitted in accordance with the requirements of the University of Liverpool for
the degree of Doctor in Philosophy

by

Olivier Allègre

February 2013
Advanced polarization control for optimizing ultrafast laser micro-processing 2

Declaration

I hereby declare that all the work contained within this dissertation has not been submitted for any
other qualification.

Signed:

Date:
3 Declaration
Advanced polarization control for optimizing ultrafast laser micro-processing 4

Summary

The ability to control and manipulate the state of polarization of a laser beam is becoming an
increasingly desirable feature in a number of industrial laser micro-processing applications. Being able to
control polarization would enable the improvement of the efficiency and quality of processes such as
the drilling of holes for fuel-injection nozzles, the processing of silicon wafers or the machining of
medical stent devices.
This thesis presents novel, liquid-crystal-based optical setups for controlling the polarization of
ultrafast laser beams, and demonstrates how such optical setups can be used to improve laser micro-
processing efficiency and quality. Two experimental strategies were followed: the first used dynamic
control of the polarization direction of a linearly polarized beam; the second generated beams with
complex polarization structures. Novel optical analysis methods were used to map the polarization
structures in the focal region of these laser micro-processing setups, using Laser Induced Periodic
Surface Structures (LIPSS) produced on stainless steel sample surfaces at low laser fluence (around
1.5J/cm²), close to the ablation threshold of steel (i.e. 0.16J/cm²). This helped to characterize and
calibrate the optical setups used in this thesis.
The first experimental method used a fast-response, analogue, liquid-crystal polarization rotation
device to dynamically control the direction of linear polarization of a laser beam during micro-
processing. Thanks to its flexibility, the polarization rotator could be set-up in various synchronized
configurations, for example keeping the polarization direction constantly perpendicular to the beam
scanning motion. Drilling and cutting tests were performed on thin (~0.4mm thick) stainless steel sheets
using a 775nm femtosecond laser at 24J/cm². The experimental results showed a consistent
improvement in the micro-processing quality when the polarization direction was synchronized with the
beam scanning motion. The sidewall surface roughness and edge quality of the machined structures
were improved significantly, with the dimensions of ripples and distortions divided by a factor of two.
The overall processing efficiency was also increased compared to that produced by linear or circular
polarizations.
The second experimental method used a digital, Liquid-Crystal On Silicon (LCOS) Spatial Light
Modulator (SLM) to generate polarization structures with a cylindrical geometry, or Cylindrical Vector
Beams (CVBs). A Jones matrix analysis was used to model the optical setup and predict the ability to
produce CVBs in this way. The setup was implemented in a 775nm femtosecond laser micro-processing
bench and the resulting polarization analyzed with a polarizing filter, demonstrating a polarization purity
better than 84%. The amplitude and polarization properties in the focal region of the setup were studied
using LIPSS produced on the surface of stainless steel samples at low fluence (1.5J/cm²), to check that
the expected state of polarization had been achieved. An analytical model of the experimental setup
was developed to explain the experimental results. The model predictions were in agreement with the
5

experimental results and clarified how the polarization and phase structures affect the focal properties
of the produced laser beams.
Various types of CVBs were used with a high laser beam fluence (24J/cm²) for micro-machining 0.2-
0.4mm thick stainless steel plates. A comparative analysis of micro-machining with radially, azimuthally,
circularly and linearly polarized beams was carried out. It was shown that a radially polarized beam was
more efficient at drilling and cutting high-aspect-ratio features when the plate thickness was above
0.2mm. The gain in processing speed was better than 5% compared with a circularly polarized beam and
better than 10% compared with an azimuthally polarized beam, under the chosen processing
parameters. However the processing speed was similar for all these polarization states (radial, azimuthal
and circular) when machining 0.2mm thick plates. It was also shown that a radially polarized beam
improved the processing quality, reducing the distortions affecting the edge quality of the machined
structures.
Advanced polarization control for optimizing ultrafast laser micro-processing 6

List of publications to date by author

Allegre O. J., Perrie W., Edwardson S. P., Dearden G., Watkins K. G., 2012, Laser microprocessing of steel
with radially and azimuthally polarized femtosecond vortex pulses, J. Optics 14 (8): 085601

Allegre O. J., Perrie W., Bauchert K., Liu D., Edwardson S. P., Dearden G., Watkins K. G., 2012, Real-time
control of polarisation in ultra-short-pulse laser micro-machining, Appl. Phys. A 107 (2): 445-454

Allegre O. J., Perrie W., Edwardson S. P., Dearden G., Watkins K. G., 2011, Ultra-short pulse laser micro-
machining of metals with radial and azimuthal polarization, Proc. ICALEO 2011: 917-925

Allegre O. J., Perrie W., Bauchert K., Dearden G., Watkins K. G., 2010, Real-time control of polarisation in
high-aspect-ratio ultra-short-pulse laser micro-machining, Proc. ICALEO 2010: 1426-1433

Allegre O. J., Perrie W., Bauchert K., Liu D., Edwardson S. P., Dearden G., Watkins K. G., 2010, Real-time
control of polarization in ultra-short pulse laser micro-processing, Proc. MATADOR 2010: 553-556

Croft J., Edwardson S. P., Williams C. J., Allegre O. J., Dearden G., Watkins K. G., 2010, Embedding arrays
of microspheres with optical trapping for micro scale device manufacture, Proc. ICALEO 2010: 1450
7 List of publications to date by author
Advanced polarization control for optimizing ultrafast laser micro-processing 8

Acknowledgements

I would like to thank Ken Watkins (my primary supervisor), Geoff Dearden, Stuart Edwardson and
Walter Perrie, who have an inexhaustible supply of scientific insight and enthusiasm, which has meant
that my Ph.D. has been not only interesting, but also enjoyable.
It is impossible to spend four years at the Laser Group without appreciating Doug Eckford, who has
persistently made sure that the computers are running smoothly, as well as Eamonn Fearon who has
tirelessly ensured the smooth running of the Lairdside Laser Engineering Centre, where most of the
experimental work has been done. It has been lovely to meet and work alongside so many members of
the Laser Group.
On a more personal note, I would like to thank Mary, as well as my family and friends for their
unwavering support and acknowledge my proof-readers: Mary, my father and Walter Perrie (who all
carefully red this thesis).
9 Contents

Contents
Advanced polarization control for optimizing ultrafast laser micro-processing 10

Contents

Summary ...........................................................................................................................................4
Acknowledgements............................................................................................................................8
1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................. 16
1.1 Background to laser technology ................................................................................................. 16
1.1.1 Principle of the laser ........................................................................................................... 18
1.1.2 Industrial laser manufacturing ............................................................................................ 18
1.2 Introduction to ultrafast laser micro-processing ........................................................................ 20
1.2.1 Mode locking....................................................................................................................... 20
1.2.2 Chirped pulse amplification ................................................................................................ 22
1.2.3 Laser-material interactions mechanisms ............................................................................ 23
1.2.4 Techniques for laser micro-machining ................................................................................ 26
1.3 Introduction to phase and polarization ...................................................................................... 29
1.3.1 Definition of phase and polarization................................................................................... 29
1.3.2 Mathematical representation of polarized light: Jones vectors ......................................... 31
1.3.3 Mathematical representation of waveplates: Jones matrixes............................................ 34
1.3.4 Birefringence ....................................................................................................................... 35
1.3.5 Fresnel’s coefficients and Brewster’s angle ........................................................................ 35
1.3.6 Cylindrical Vector Beams .................................................................................................... 38
1.4 Introduction to liquid-crystal technology ................................................................................... 40
1.4.1 Liquid-crystals ..................................................................................................................... 40
1.4.2 Ferroelectric liquid-crystal polarization rotator.................................................................. 41
1.4.3 Nematic liquid-crystal spatial light modulator.................................................................... 42
1.5 This thesis.................................................................................................................................... 44
2 Innovative optical diagnostic techniques: verifying phase stability of SLMs and analyzing
polarization ..................................................................................................................................... 46
2.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................ 46
2.2 Development of a novel polarization mapping technique ......................................................... 47
11 Contents

2.2.1 Laser Induced Periodic Surface Structures (LIPSS).............................................................. 47

2.2.2 Experimental setup ............................................................................................................. 48
2.2.3 Mapping the polarization in the focal region of a laser beam ............................................ 49
2.2.4 LIPSS as a dynamic polarization diagnostic ......................................................................... 51
2.2.5 Discussion............................................................................................................................ 53
2.3 Diagnostic technique for verifying the phase stability of SLMs under high-average-power laser
exposure.................................................................................................................................................. 54
2.3.1 Aim of the experiment ........................................................................................................ 54
2.3.2 Experimental setup ............................................................................................................. 54
2.3.3 Results and discussion ........................................................................................................ 56
2.4 Chapter summary........................................................................................................................ 56
3 Real-time control of polarization .................................................................................................. 58
3.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................ 58
3.2 Experimental setup ..................................................................................................................... 59
3.3 Proof of concept.......................................................................................................................... 60
3.3.1 Testing response time ......................................................................................................... 60
3.3.2 Polarization diagnostic ........................................................................................................ 61
3.4 Helical drilling .............................................................................................................................. 62
3.4.1 Circular beam path .............................................................................................................. 62
3.4.2 Square beam path ............................................................................................................... 67
3.5 Micro-cutting .............................................................................................................................. 69
3.5.1 Cross-shaped beam path .................................................................................................... 69
3.5.2 Square beam path ............................................................................................................... 71
3.6 Chapter summary........................................................................................................................ 74
4 Spatial control of polarization: producing Cylindrical Vector Beams ............................................... 76
4.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................ 76
4.2 Principle and proof of concept for a Polarization Mode Converter ........................................... 77
4.2.1 Polarization Mode Converter .............................................................................................. 77
4.2.2 Theoretical analysis of the Polarization Mode Converter using Jones matrices ................ 77
4.2.3 Principle of the Polarization Mode Converter .................................................................... 79
4.2.4 Experiments producing a uniform rotation of polarization with the Polarization Mode
Converter ............................................................................................................................................ 81
Advanced polarization control for optimizing ultrafast laser micro-processing 12

4.2.5 Experiments producing Cylindrical Vector Beams with the Polarization Mode Converter: ...
............................................................................................................................................. 84
4.3 Analysis of Cylindrical Vector Beams in the focal region of a femtosecond laser setup ............ 88
4.3.1 Experimental setup ............................................................................................................. 88
4.3.2 Polarization analysis of the collimated beams .................................................................... 89
4.3.3 Measuring polarization purity............................................................................................. 89
4.3.4 Polarization analysis in the focal plane ............................................................................... 90
4.3.5 Comparative analysis of intensity profiles in the focal plane ............................................. 93
4.3.6 Effect of the phase vortex on the focusing properties of CVBs .......................................... 95
4.3.7 Three dimensional mapping of the polarization structure of CVBs in the focal region ..... 99
4.4 Chapter summary...................................................................................................................... 104
5 Geometrical analysis of the polarization state in the focal plane .................................................. 106
5.1 Introduction .............................................................................................................................. 106
5.2 Outline of the model ................................................................................................................. 107
5.2.1 Geometry of the experimental setup ............................................................................... 107
5.2.2 Approximations ................................................................................................................. 107
5.2.3 Principle of the model ....................................................................................................... 108
5.3 Vectorial calculation.................................................................................................................. 110
5.3.1 Geometry of the model..................................................................................................... 110
5.3.2 Jones vector coordinates definition .................................................................................. 110
5.3.3 Jones vectors phase definition .......................................................................................... 112
5.3.4 Phase term ................................................................................................................ 112
5.3.5 Phase term ................................................................................................................ 112
5.4 Model of a radially polarized beam with a planar phase.......................................................... 115
5.4.1 Vectorial representation ................................................................................................... 115
5.4.2 Calculation of the Jones vector at Point O for a radially polarized beam with a planar
phase ........................................................................................................................................... 115
5.4.3 Calculation of the Jones vector at Point A for a radially polarized beam with a planar
phase ........................................................................................................................................... 118
5.4.4 Discussion.......................................................................................................................... 118
5.5 Model of a radially polarized beam with a vortex phase.......................................................... 122
5.5.1 Vectorial representation ................................................................................................... 122
13 Contents

5.5.2 Calculation of the Jones vector at Point O for a radially polarized beam with a vortex
phase ........................................................................................................................................... 122
5.5.3 Calculation of the Jones vector at Point A for a radially polarized beam with a vortex
phase ........................................................................................................................................... 126
5.5.4 Discussion.......................................................................................................................... 126
5.6 Comparison of the beams’ intensity profile at the focal plane ................................................ 130
5.7 Model of azimuthally polarized beams with a planar or a vortex phase .................................. 131
5.8 Discussion.................................................................................................................................. 132
5.9 Chapter summary...................................................................................................................... 134
6 Ultrafast laser processing with Cylindrical Vector Beams ............................................................. 136
6.1 Introduction .............................................................................................................................. 136
6.2 Helical drilling ............................................................................................................................ 137
6.2.1 Aim of the experiment ...................................................................................................... 137
6.2.2 Experimental setup ........................................................................................................... 137
6.2.3 Experimental procedure ................................................................................................... 137
6.2.4 Results ............................................................................................................................... 137
6.2.5 Discussion.......................................................................................................................... 139
6.3 Micro-cutting ............................................................................................................................ 140
6.3.1 Aim of the experiment ...................................................................................................... 140
6.3.2 Experimental setup ........................................................................................................... 140
6.3.3 Experimental procedure ................................................................................................... 140
6.3.4 Overall cutting efficiency .................................................................................................. 140
6.3.5 Ablation efficiency ............................................................................................................ 142
6.3.6 Machining quality.............................................................................................................. 145
6.4 Chapter summary...................................................................................................................... 146
7 Conclusions ................................................................................................................................ 148
7.1 Introduction .............................................................................................................................. 148
7.2 Innovative techniques for optical diagnostic ............................................................................ 148
7.2.1 Method for analyzing polarization .................................................................................... 148
7.2.2 Method for verifying the phase-response of SLMs at high-average-power ..................... 149
7.3 Real-time control of polarization .............................................................................................. 149
7.3.1 Influence of polarization on micro-machining .................................................................. 149
7.3.2 Dynamic polarization control for industrial micro-manufacturing ................................... 150
Advanced polarization control for optimizing ultrafast laser micro-processing 14

7.3.3 Future work ....................................................................................................................... 150

7.4 Spatial control of polarization: producing Cylindrical Vector Beams ....................................... 151
7.4.1 Principle of a Polarization Mode Converter ...................................................................... 151
7.4.2 Experimental analysis of CVBs produced with the Polarization Mode Converter ............ 151
7.4.3 Analytical model of the CVBs produced with the Polarization Mode Converter ............. 152
7.4.4 Ultrafast laser micro-machining with CVBs ...................................................................... 153
7.4.5 Future work ....................................................................................................................... 154
Appendix A Derivations supporting Chapter 4 ............................................................................... 156
A.1 Calculation of Jones vectors after the SLM ............................................................................... 156
A.2 Calculation of Jones vectors after the Polarization Mode Converter ....................................... 157
Appendix B Geometrical derivations supporting Chapter 5 ............................................................ 160
B.1 Calculation of the phase tilt factors in the case of a beam that focuses at Point A ................. 160
B.2 Calculation of the complex coordinates of each Jones vector ................................................. 163
B.2.1 Radially polarized beam with a planar phase, focusing at Point O ................................... 163
B.2.2 Radially polarized beam with a planar phase, focusing at Point A ................................... 166
B.2.3 Radially polarized beam with a vortex phase, focusing at Point O ................................... 169
B.2.4 Radially polarized beam with a vortex phase, focusing at Point A ................................... 172
B.2.5 Linearly polarized beam with a planar phase, focusing at Point O ................................... 175
B.2.6 Linearly polarized beam with a planar phase, focusing at Point A ................................... 177
B.3 Vectorial calculation in the Complex Plane .............................................................................. 179
B.3.1 Radially polarized beam with a planar phase, focusing at Point O ................................... 179
B.3.2 Radially polarized beam with a planar phase, focusing at Point A ................................... 179
B.3.3 Radially polarized beam with a vortex phase, focusing at Point O ................................... 180
B.3.4 Radially polarized beam with a vortex phase, focusing at Point A ................................... 181
B.3.5 Linearly polarized beam with a planar phase, focusing at Point O ................................... 182
B.3.6 Linearly polarized beam with a planar phase, focusing at Point A ................................... 182
B.3.7 Irradiance at focal plane, produced with a linearly polarized beam with a planar phase 183
Appendix C Abbreviations, acronyms and definitions .................................................................... 184
C.1 Abbreviations and acronyms .................................................................................................... 184
C.2 Definitions ................................................................................................................................. 184
Appendix D Symbols..................................................................................................................... 184
D.1 Constants, units and notations ................................................................................................. 184
15 Contents

D.2 Variables.................................................................................................................................... 184

References ................................................................................................................................. 188
Advanced polarization control for optimizing ultrafast laser micro-processing 16

1
Introduction

1.1 Background to laser technology

The laser is undoubtedly the most important optical technology to be developed in the past 60 years.
Soon after Theodore Maiman demonstrated the first ruby laser in 1960, there were tremendous
developments in the field of laser technology. As a result, a wide range of basic laser applications quickly
appeared in various domains such as surgery, bar-code scanning, telecommunication and industrial
manufacturing (S. Perkowitz, 2010). The latter is the focus of this thesis.

1.1.1 Principle of the laser

A laser is a device that emits coherent electromagnetic radiation in the infrared, visible or ultraviolet
spectrum, through a process of optical amplification based on the stimulated emission of photons. A
laser is constructed from three principal elements: an energy source, a gain medium and an optical
cavity (Figure 1.1).
 The energy source (also referred to as pump source) provides energy to the laser system. The energy
source can be for example an electrical discharge, or the light from a flash lamp or another laser.
 The gain medium is a material (either a gas, liquid or solid) with optical properties that determines
the characteristics of the laser light, such as its wavelength. Each electron in the gain medium carries
some energy. Quantum mechanical effects dictate that electrons can only carry discreet energy
levels. At a given time, an electron carries a defined level of energy, within the set of energy levels
allowed by the material. In a laser gain medium, the electrons can be either in a ground state (they
carry a minimum level of energy), or in an excited state (they carry a higher level of energy). The
difference between the energy levels of the ground and excited states determines the wavelength of
a laser. Typically, a laser gain medium does not have one, but multiple excited states (i.e. a multitude
of allowed energy levels).
 The optical cavity (also referred to as optical resonator) is a set of mirrors placed around the gain
medium so that photons can travel back and forth through it. Typically in a simple two-mirrors
optical cavity, one of the mirrors is highly reflective and the other is partially reflective to allow some
of the light to leave the cavity. It is noted that optical cavities can also use a more complex
configuration, for example a ring cavity.

The laser is operated by pumping the gain medium i.e. transferring energy from the energy source to
the gain medium. In this way, the gain medium becomes excited, with a large share of its electron
population in an excited state. Typically, photons are initially emitted in the gain medium through a
process of spontaneous emission. They are then amplified through a process of stimulated emission,
17 Introduction

where the electrons in an excited states transfer their energy to incoming photons, producing more
photons as a result (these electron-photon energy transfers are also called lasing transitions). The
photons are reflected by the mirrors of the optical cavity, so that they travel back into the gain medium
where they produce more stimulated emission. The photons may reflect back and forth inside the cavity
many hundred times before exiting the cavity, through a partially reflective cavity mirror for example.
Although in principle lasers produce monochromatic light (electromagnetic radiation of a single
wavelength), most lasers actually produce radiation in several modes, each having a slightly different
frequency (wavelength). Some lasers even produce radiation in a wide spectral range, as much as 20nm
in some cases. Lasers can operate in continuous mode, where the output beam power is constant over
time. Such lasers are known as continuous wave lasers (CW lasers). Lasers can also operate in pulsed
mode.

Figure 1.1: Schematic showing the three main elements in a laser, here a Nd:YAG laser. The energy source is
a flash lamp. It is located next to the gain medium, here a Nd:YAG crystal. The flash lamp transfers energy to
the electrons of the Nd:YAG crystal, so that they acquire a higher energy level. Photons are first emitted
through spontaneous emission and then gradually amplified through stimulated emission, as they travel
back and forth between the mirrors of the optical cavity. One of the mirrors is partially reflective and lets
some of the optical radiation leave the cavity.
Advanced polarization control for optimizing ultrafast laser micro-processing 18

1.1.2 Industrial laser manufacturing

Right from the outset, the potential usefulness of laser-material interactions in industrial
manufacturing applications was envisaged. Industrial laser manufacturing generally involves focusing a
laser beam to melt or ablate material in a work-piece. Theoretical and experimental studies were soon
undertaken to better understand these interactions. For industrial manufacturing processes such as
cutting, welding and surface treatment, the quality of the laser source is of primary importance. In
particular, achieving a good process efficiency requires the use of laser sources that produce a high
average-power.

1.1.2.1 High-average-power laser sources for industry

Two early laser technologies demonstrated such high-average-power: CO₂ laser sources (which were
first demonstrated by C. K. N. Patel, 1964) and Nd:YAG laser sources (first demonstrated by J. E. Geusic
et al. 1964). Both technologies can produce continuous or pulsed output beams and work in the infrared
spectrum (10.6μm for the CO₂ laser and 1.06μm for the Nd:YAG laser). CO₂ laser sources started being
adopted in industry in the late 1960s, followed by the Nd:YAG laser sources in the 1970s.
Another technology, the Excimer laser (first demonstrated by N. Basov et al. 1970), produces a high-
average-power, pulsed output beam in the ultraviolet spectrum. Excimer laser sources started being
adopted for semiconductor wafer processing applications in the microelectronics industry from the early
1980s. In particular, the Excimer laser lithography technique, which was first demonstrated by K. Jain et
al. (1982), is now arguably the only widely used technology for the manufacturing of microelectronic
devices.
An additional technology, the laser diode, was initially demonstrated by both R. N. Hall et al. (1962)
and M. I. Nathan et al. (1962). The laser diode started being used in telecommunication and information
technologies from the 1980s. Since 1990, technology improvements enabled diode lasers to produce
high-average-power beams. This led to their use for solid-state laser cavity pumping and enabled the
advent of Diode-Pumped Solid-State (DPSS) lasers (J. Hecht, 2010). This also led to the use of laser
diodes as direct sources for industrial processing applications such as surface hardening and welding,
with diode arrays generating as much as 100W in average power, in continuous mode (first
demonstrated by M. Sakamoto et al. 1992).

1.1.2.2 Emergence of integrated industrial laser processing systems

Apart from a high-average-power laser source, high-quality industrial laser processing also requires
advanced beam quality control, in-process optimization of the output power and beam delivery, etc...
All these areas saw rapid technological developments in the 1960s and 1970s (W. M. Steen, 1991; R.
Crafer & P. J. Oakley, 1993).
Moreover, progress was being made in the understanding of laser-material interactions. These
interactions are strongly dependant on the laser process parameters (fluence, wavelength, temporal
pulse length, etc…) and the material properties (metals, semiconductors, etc…). These developments
enabled the appearance of fully integrated laser processing systems (W. M. Steen, 1991; R. Crafer & P. J.
Oakley, 1993). Thanks to accurate control of the process, precision manufacturing could be achieved at
high speed. This led to the widespread use of laser manufacturing in the aerospace, automotive or
textile industries for example.
19 Introduction

1.1.2.3 Emergence of high-precision industrial laser micro-processing

Another area of development for industrial laser manufacturing is in high-precision micro-applications
(for example in the microelectronics, photonics or medical industries), where ever more accurate
processes are required. This fueled the development of short-pulse lasers, with pulse lengths in the
nanosecond range. By concentrating the available energy into short time intervals, these short-pulse
lasers provide a higher peak-power and enable a more accurate control of laser-material interactions.
This, in turn, increases the machining quality by reducing recast and molten material during processing
(D. Breitling et al. 2004a). A variety of such nanosecond-pulse laser sources have been developed since
the 1980s. These include for example the Q-switched Nd: YAG lasers, the ytterbium-doped fiber lasers
(J. Hecht, 2010), or the thin-disk lasers (first demonstrated by J. A. Abate et al. 1981).
More recently, laser sources producing pulse lengths in the picosecond and femtosecond range,
referred to as ultrashort-pulse or ultrafast lasers, have been developed (A. Cavalieri, 2010). Laser
sources producing ultrashort pulses include for example the titanium-doped sapphire laser (first
introduced in P. F. Moulton, 1986), the fiber laser or the thin-disk laser. This has enabled even higher
precision micro- and nano-manufacturing applications to be developed. Picosecond-pulse lasers are now
explored in industries that typically require a very high process quality, as the ultrashort timescale on
which laser energy is coupled to the material ensures sub-micron precision processing can be achieved
with very little thermal damage. Potential future applications include for example the scribing of
photovoltaic cells, the patterning of flexible displays and the fabrication of medical stent devices (N. H.
Rizvi, 2003).
Advanced polarization control for optimizing ultrafast laser micro-processing 20

1.2 Introduction to ultrafast laser micro-processing

A laser source that produces light pulses with a duration in the picoseconds ( s) or femtosecond
( s) range is referred to as an ultrafast, or ultrashort-pulse laser. Shortly after their invention (P. F.
Moulton, 1986), ultrafast lasers were mostly used for ultrafast spectroscopic applications, where their
incredibly short pulse length facilitated the study of how the energy states and electron dynamics of
molecules affect complex chemical or biological processes (A. Cavalieri, 2010). However it quickly
emerged that their high peak power and very short laser-material interaction duration could also be
beneficial to micro-manufacturing applications.
Producing such pulse durations at the level of pulse energy required for micro-manufacturing
processes is generally achieved with a combination of advanced optical techniques, such as mode
locking and chirped pulse amplification. Mode locking enables the production of extremely short, low
energy (nJ) laser pulses, whereas chirped pulse amplification enables their amplification to achieve a
pulse energy in the millijoule range, as required in micro-manufacturing applications. Most of the
experimental work described in this thesis uses a femtosecond-pulse laser source, namely a Clark-MXR
CPA2010 Ti-Sapphire laser. This laser source has a titanium-doped sapphire gain medium and uses mode
locking and chirped pulse amplification to produce a femtosecond pulse train at a wavelength of 775nm.

1.2.1 Mode locking

1.2.1.1 Principle
Mode locking is a technique which is used to produce ultrashort laser pulses by inducing a fixed phase
relationship between the oscillating electromagnetic field modes (i.e. the longitudinal modes) of the
laser’s optical cavity. By their nature, ultrashort-pulse lasers emit radiation over a broad range of
wavelengths. For example a 180fs-pulse laser can have a wavelength range of 5nm around a central
wavelength of 775nm (Z. Kuang et al. 2009a). Thanks to mode locking, the wavelength components are
timed exactly so that their electromagnetic field modes nearly cancel each other out, except for during
one tiny period of time when they combine constructively in one intense pulse (see Figure 1.2).
The wavelength of electromagnetic radiation modes that oscillate in a laser’s optical cavity are
determined by two factors. The first one is the lasing transitions that occur in the laser gain medium. In
an ultrashort-pulse laser, the gain medium is chosen to have a broad range of lasing transitions (i.e. a
large gain bandwidth ∆ν). For example, a titanium-doped sapphire has a lasing wavelength range of
approximately 300nm centered near 800nm i.e. a gain bandwidth ∆ν of 130THz, and hence can
support a temporal pulse-length τ 1/∆ν 8fs (A. Cavalieri, 2010). The second factor is the length of
the optical cavity that surrounds the gain medium. The cavity length allows a set of discrete wavelength
components (i.e. those that have an electromagnetic field mode with nodes at the cavity’s end mirrors)
to be amplified. By mode locking a broad range of wavelengths, an ultrashort pulse is produced at a
dynamic point in the cavity, at which the many electromagnetic field modes interfere constructively.
This point of coincidence moves back and forth in the cavity at the speed of light.

1.2.1.2 Methods to achieve mode locking

It is noted that mode locking does not occur naturally in a laser cavity. Without using an appropriate
mode locking technique, the phase of each mode in the laser cavity would drift away from that of the
21 Introduction

other modes and the resulting output beam power would fluctuate randomly. To achieve mode locking,
two sets of methods have been developed, referred to as active and passive mode locking.
 Active mode locking uses a dynamic light modulation device in the laser cavity, externally driven with
a synchronized signal. This is usually an acousto-optic modulator, which acts as a controllable
attenuator. The light bouncing between the mirrors of the cavity is either attenuated when the
device is “off”, or transmitted through when it is “on”. The modulator is “switched on” periodically
each time the pulse has completed a cavity round trip.
 Passive mode locking uses a saturable absorber inside the cavity. A saturable absorber attenuates
low-intensity light and transmits high intensity pulses.

Both active or passive, mode locking allows selective amplification of a high-intensity pulse travelling
round trips between the cavity mirrors. As a result, a mode locked laser cavity produces a train of
ultrashort pulses.
It is noted here that lasers which operate in a continuous wave fashion (CW laser) have their
electromagnetic radiation modes oscillating randomly in the laser cavity, with no fixed relationship
between each other. This leads to a near-constant output intensity with no laser pulses. Unlike pulsed
lasers, continuous wave lasers generally emit radiation with a single monochromatic frequency.

Figure 1.2: Plot showing an example of some of the electromagnetic radiation modes oscillating inside a
laser’s optical cavity (plotted in black). The bottom curve (plotted in red), which is a sum of the four curves
plotted in black, shows that the modes add up constructively only for a short time interval. In a
femtosecond laser cavity, there are thousands of other modes interfering constructively at one moment in
time before falling off quickly, thanks to mode locking. This produces a very short, high-intensity pulse
travelling back and forth inside the laser cavity.
Advanced polarization control for optimizing ultrafast laser micro-processing 22

1.2.2 Chirped pulse amplification

For ultrafast laser material processing applications, ultrashort pulses need to be amplified in energy
to the millijoule level. Amplifying an ultrashort laser pulse to these energy levels directly would damage
the amplification crystal (gain medium), because of the very high peak power contained in the pulse. A
chirped pulse amplification technique is used to avoid this.
In a chirped pulse amplifier, a seed ultrashort laser pulse is stretched in time to as long as a
nanosecond by inducing a relative delay between its wavelength components (i.e. its longitudinal
modes) to reduce peak intensity, prior to introducing it to the gain medium. This is usually achieved
using a pair of gratings that are arranged so that the longer wavelength components of the laser pulse
travel a shorter path than the shorter wavelength components. After the gratings, the shorter
wavelength components lag behind the longer wavelength components (see Figure 1.3). The stretched
pulse, which has a lower peak intensity, is then safely introduced to the gain medium for amplification.
Depending on the design of the laser, the pulse can travel several times within the cavity, to deplete the
amplification crystal (i.e. the gain medium) of its stored energy, before being released out of the laser
cavity. Following amplification, the pulses are recompressed by temporally reversing the stretching
process and removing the relative delay between the wavelength components. In this way, ultrashort
laser output pulses achieve much higher peak powers, as the amplification is not limited by the damage
threshold of the amplifying crystal.

Figure 1.3: Schematic showing the principle of Chirped Pulse Amplification. An ultrashort seed pulse is
stretched by a set of gratings before amplification in the laser cavity, here referred to as “Amplifier”. After
amplification, the pulse is compressed by another set of gratings to produce a high-intensity, ultrashort
pulse. This schematic was taken from J. Cheng (2010).
23 Introduction

1.2.3 Laser-material interactions mechanisms

This section gives a brief overview into various types of laser-material interaction mechanisms which
occur when a pulsed laser beam is used to process a material. A distinction is made between two types
of processing regimes. The first is when a laser beam with a “long” pulse duration (i.e. down to the
nanosecond range) is used. This is typically referred to as the long-pulse regime. The second is when a
pulse duration in the picosecond or femtosecond range is used. This is sometimes referred to as the
ultrashort-pulse regime. Each of these regimes produces different types of laser-material interactions.

1.2.3.1 Long-pulse regime

Micro-machining materials such as metals or semiconductors in the long-pulse regime is a dynamic
process where the material close to the surface of the work-piece is heated, molten and finally
vaporized within the duration of each pulse (S. T. Hendow & S. A. Shakir, 2010). In this regime, laser
pulses transfer most of their energy thermally by melting the material. However, energy losses occur
due to thermal diffusion within the pulse duration. Thermal diffusion causes heat to flow to the bulk
substrate material outside the processing area and reduces the efficiency of the process.
To improve efficiency, high-precision industrial processes often use pulse lengths in the nanosecond
range, since they produce less thermal losses than longer pulses in the microsecond range or above. This
results in a comparatively high processing speed. However even with nanosecond pulses, melting
inevitably produces recast layers on the sidewalls of the machined structures, which limits the end
quality of the process achievable in this regime (N. H. Rizvi, 2003).
For any given micro-machining process, a balance has to be found between efficiency and quality. For
example by increasing the pulse energy, more material is ablated by each pulse, making the process
more efficient; however, this also produces more recast material on the sidewalls of the machined
structures (Figure 1.4) and this reduces the process quality.

Figure 1.4: Schematic showing the various phenomenon which occur in the long-pulse laser-material
interaction regime. This schematic is taken from the Clark-MXR website (www.cmxr.com/Education).
Advanced polarization control for optimizing ultrafast laser micro-processing 24

1.2.3.2 Ultrashort-pulse regime

In the ultrashort-pulse regime, the heat deposited by the laser into the material does not have
enough time to move away from the processing area within the duration of the pulse. This reduces
thermal diffusion and energy losses. As soon as a laser pulse reaches the surface, the temperature at the
focal spot rises very quickly past the melting point and then the evaporation point of the material, soon
reaching the plasma regime (C. Fohl & F. Dausinger, 2006; D. Breitling et al. 2004b). As a result,
ultrashort-pulses increase the share of vaporized material at the expense of molten material. They
enable many materials to be processed with a very high quality and minimal thermal damage (see Figure
1.5).
The physics of laser material interactions in this regime can be described as follows: when an
ultrashort pulse reaches the target surface, the laser radiation energy is absorbed locally in the electron
system of the target material. Depending on the fluence and peak power of the laser pulse and on the
properties of the target material, various laser-material energy transfer mechanisms can occur:
 In some semiconductors or dielectric materials, the intense energy transfer to the electrons causes
their separation from the bulk material, leaving behind ions which repel each other and leave the
bulk substrate material. This process is referred to as a Coulomb explosion (F. Dausinger, 2003).
 Another example of an energy transfer mechanism is multi-photon absorption, which occurs in some
dielectrics. Here, the high peak power of the ultrashort pulses causes the laser photons to excite
molecules within the target material to their higher energy state.
 In metals, each laser pulse locally heats electrons. Contrary to the light-weight electrons, the heavier
ion lattice of the material cannot absorb optical radiation energy directly since they cannot follow the
fast oscillations of the electromagnetic field. However, by collisions with the energetic electrons, the
ion lattice is also heated up eventually. Due to the large mass difference between electrons and ions,
only a small energy portion can be transmitted by each electron-ion collision (D. Breitling et al.
2004a). Thermodynamic equilibrium between the electron system and the lattice is only reached
after a time delay in the nanosecond range, after which the transferred energy vaporizes the
material. Since the duration of the laser pulse is shorter than this time delay, it does not transfer its
energy to the lattice directly. This reduces melt formation and thermally induced stress and it leads
to a better process quality.

It is noted that thermal damages sometimes occur when processing with ultrashort-pulses, especially
at higher fluences. For example melting does take place in metals, caused by a residual thermal diffusion
when the pulse energy is very high (D. Breitling et al. 2004a).
25 Introduction

Figure 1.5: Schematic showing some of the benefits obtained by processing in the ultrashort-pulse laser-
material interaction regime. Thermal damages are minimal in this regime. This schematic is taken from the
Clark-MXR website (www.cmxr.com/Education).
Advanced polarization control for optimizing ultrafast laser micro-processing 26

1.2.4 Techniques for laser micro-machining

Laser micro-machining (also referred to as laser micro-processing) is a general term that includes a
variety of processes, such as surface marking, hole drilling, cutting and milling. This section gives a brief
overview of some of the processes used to micro-machine metals with short- and ultrashort-pulse
lasers.

1.2.4.1 Low aspect-ratio processing

Low-aspect-ratio processing includes the marking or texturing of the surface of a work-piece, as well
as drilling or cutting structures through thin sheets of material (thin semiconductor wafers, metal sheets
etc…). It involves the gentle surface ablation of target materials. Ultrashort pulses with a fluence just
above the ablation threshold can be used to produce virtually melt-free structures (D. Breitling et al.
2004a). The low processing efficiency associated with low pulse energy can be compensated by
increasing the pulse repetition rate of the laser source. The laser is scanned across the surface to
produce the desired geometry. The number of pulses at each position determines the depth of the
structures.

1.2.4.2 High-aspect-ratio micro-drilling

For high-aspect-ratio laser drilling, a high enough fluence is necessary to maintain a good ablation
efficiency. Experimental evidence shows that deep hole drilling generally requires a high fluence level to
enable full material penetration (D. Breitling et al. 2004b). Therefore thermal damages such as the
formation of melt and heat affected zones, which occur during high-fluence laser processing, can be
problematic even with ultrashort pulses (F. Dausinger, 2003; D. Breitling et al. 2004b). Specific
machining techniques have been developed to limit these effects.
There are four principal techniques for laser drilling: single-pulse, percussion, trepanning and helical
drilling (see Figure 1.6). Single-pulse and percussion are simpler and faster drilling methods since they
use only the focused laser beam for machining, without any further optics. The resulting hole is roughly
the same diameter as the laser beam’s spot size. These methods can deliver aspect ratios as large as 10;
however, they do not produce the best hole quality. Trepanning and helical drilling are more complex as
they involve moving the laser beam with regard to the work-piece. As a result these methods produce
holes wider than the laser beam spot size.
Laser trepanning involves piercing the work-piece in the same way as in percussion drilling and then
cutting a round hole in one circular movement. Laser trepanning is comparable to a cutting process.
Again, this method can suffer from melt formation and heat affected zones.
In helical drilling, the beam does not pierce through the material initially. Rather, it follows a recurring
circular path where laser pulses ablate layers of material gradually, meaning that the ablation front
follows a helical path. Since the laser spot diameter is smaller than the final bore, material expulsion
becomes easier and thus recast layers, which are deposited on the sidewalls, do not accumulate to thick
layers and can be removed by successive passes of the beam, thus improving the end process quality.
Furthermore, helical drilling has proven to be beneficial also in terms of increased geometrical accuracy,
since the rotational beam movement produces a hole shape that does not depend on the beam profile
but rather on the accuracy of the scanning motion. Although it is not the fastest drilling method, helical
drilling produces the best process quality and geometrical accuracy of the resulting structures,
compared to other drilling methods (D. Breitling et al. 2004b). It is also the only option for drilling holes
27 Introduction

with a very high aspect-ratio (i.e. above 10). The hole quality can also be further improved by using an
assist gas during drilling to reduce oxidation, or by drilling at reduced atmospheric pressure to facilitate
ablation and molten material ejection. It is noted that in some cases helical drilling can be used to
produce non-circular holes. Instead of repeatedly scanning along a circular path, the laser beam can
follow a specific path to produce the desired hole geometry.

1.2.4.3 Micro-milling and cutting

For machining more general shapes which are not necessarily circular or do not go through the full
thickness of the work-piece, various methods can be used, such as milling or cutting. For example micro-
machining non-circular holes through the work-piece can be achieved by cutting out, removing a core in
the centre of the scanned beam path. As in helical drilling, the beam scans repeatedly over the work-
piece. However unlike in helical drilling, there is a core left which is removed after machining.
In some cases, blind structures are desired, which do not go all the way through the thickness of the
work-piece. As before, the laser is scanned across the surface to produce the desired structures (N. H.
Rizvi, 2003). The number of pulses at each position determines the depth of the structure. This process
is often referred to as micro-milling.

1.2.4.4 Further developments in current micro-machining techniques

In all laser micro-machining applications, the quality of the produced features has to be balanced with
the process efficiency and cost. Thus, current industrial applications require a careful adjustment of
process parameters such as the fluence, pulse duration, wavelength or pulse repetition rate of the
incident laser beam (S. Hahne et al.2007).
The polarization and phase of laser beams have been largely unexploited in current industrial
applications, although they significantly affect the efficiency and quality of laser processing. Structuring
laser beams in polarization and phase or controlling them in real-time during a process would allow a far
more advanced level of control of laser-material interactions, impacting on the efficiency and quality of
processes and potentially enabling applications previously not achievable. This thesis explores the use of
advanced methods to control the polarization and phase of a laser beam and optimize micro-machining
processes.
Advanced polarization control for optimizing ultrafast laser micro-processing 28

Figure 1.6: Schematic showing the four most common techniques for laser drilling. Single-pulse drilling
usually involves a large pulse energy and/or longer pulse duration. As a result it is not a very accurate
process. Percussion drilling involves using a laser pulse train to gradually ablate deep holes. Trepanning
consists of a percussion drilling, followed by a cutting procedure. Helical drilling usually involves low pulse
energies and shorter pulses and produces the most accurate structures (D. Breitling et al. 2004b).
29 Introduction

1.3 Introduction to phase and polarization

In this thesis, novel methods are used to control the phase and polarization of laser beams. This
section gives an overview into the physical meaning of phase and polarization and describes how these
physical quantities can be described mathematically.

1.3.1 Definition of phase and polarization

An electromagnetic wave produced by laser radiation can be described as a self-propagating,
transverse oscillating wave of electric and magnetic fields. The electric and magnetic fields both oscillate
perpendicularly to the direction of wave propagation and perpendicularly to each other. Each of these
fields can be described as a sinusoidal function, oscillating in both space and time (see Figure 1.7).

1.3.1.1 Phase
If we plot the electric field along the axis of propagation of the laser beam at a given time, there are
places along the axis where the field is at a maximum amplitude (i.e. a maximum positive field), places
where it is zero and other places where the field is at a minimum amplitude (i.e. a maximum negative
field), forming a sinusoidal function overall (Figure 1.8-a). These places along the axis of propagation
represent different phases of the wave (D. C. O’Shea, 1985). In other words, the phase of an
electromagnetic wave can be defined as the location where the sinusoidal function has a given
amplitude value (see Figure 1.8-b). The concept of phase is valuable in the context where a group of
coherent electromagnetic waves travel together in the same direction, as is the case in a laser beam. In
such cases, it can be useful to describe a phase front (also referred to as wavefront) as a surface defined
by the locations in space where all the sinusoidal functions have the same amplitude. In an undisturbed
collimated laser beam, the phase front is generally a planar surface. In a focused laser beam, for
example, the phase front has a convex shape (Figure 1.9).

1.3.1.2 Polarization
The polarization of electromagnetic waves is a property related to the orientation in which they
oscillate. By definition, it is described by specifying the orientation of the wave’s electric field at a point
in space, over one period of oscillation of the wave (D. C. O’Shea, 1985). For example, an ultrafast laser
source typically produces a beam where the field is oriented in a single direction (i.e. it always oscillates
along a fixed line in space; see D. Breitling et al. 2004b). This is referred to as linear polarization.
However other types of laser sources can produce a field that rotates as the wave travels, producing
polarization configurations called either circular or elliptical depending on the way the field rotates. It is
noted that some laser sources produce beams where the direction of the electric field changes
randomly over time. These beams are said to be randomly polarized. Laser sources that generate
random polarization typically cannot produce ultrashort pulses for material processing (D. Breitling et al.
2004b), therefore random polarization is not investigated further in this thesis.
When a collimated laser beam travels in free space, it propagates as a transverse wave: the electric
field (polarization) is perpendicular to the wave’s direction of travel. It is noted that, unlike laser
radiation, ordinary light is not usually polarized. This is because ordinary light is produced by a number
of independent atomic sources whose radiation is not synchronized, and with an electric field that does
not oscillate in any preferred orientation.
Advanced polarization control for optimizing ultrafast laser micro-processing 30

Figure 1.7: Schematic showing an electromagnetic wave represented in a coordinate system ( ) and
propagating along the axis. An electromagnetic wave can be pictured as a combination of electric ( ) and
magnetic ( ) fields whose directions are perpendicular to the direction of propagation of the wave ( ). This
schematic is taken from D. C. O’Shea (1985).

a)

b)

Figure 1.8: (a) Schematic showing how the amplitude of the electric field E of an electromagnetic wave
oscillates along the direction of propagation z. (b) Schematic showing phases of the wave. The solid lines
indicate the places where the field is at a maximum +A, the dashed lines indicate the places where it is at a
minimum –A. Each of these places represents a phase of the wave.

Figure 1.9: Schematic showing the planar wavefronts of a collimated laser beam (left), converging after a
focusing lens (right).
31 Introduction

1.3.2 Mathematical representation of polarized light: Jones vectors

This section gives a brief reminder of Jones formalism, which uses complex vectors to describe
polarization. For a more detailed description of Jones formalism, see for example F. L. Pedrotti & L. S.
Pedrotti (1993) or J. P. Perez (1996). For a description of complex numbers, see for example K. F. Riley et
al. (2002). It is noted here that I use the notation as an imaginary (i.e. complex) number and the
notation as a Jones vector.

1.3.2.1 Reference coordinate system

To explain Jones vectors, we consider a ray of linearly polarized light, with its direction of propagation
oriented perpendicularly out of this page and situated at the origin of the reference coordinate system
defined in Figure 1.10. The electric field of the light is represented by a vector in this coordinate system.
Here, it is chosen to be at +45˚ of the coordinate axes ( and ). The field oscillates periodically like a
sinusoidal function along the direction indicated by the dotted line (see Figure 1.10). For convenience
the vector is represented with the amplitude when the field is at its (positive) maximum. The vector is
described in the coordinate system by the sum of its projections on the and axes of the coordinate
system:
(1.1)
and are unit vectors along the and axes of the coordinate system. and are often referred
to as the components of the electric field vector.
Here, the Jones vector representing the polarization of the light is noted and is defined as: .
Each component and of the Jones vector is expressed as complex numbers: and
, where and , are the amplitude and phase of respectively, and similarly for .
The state of polarization is completely determined by the relative amplitudes and phases of these
components. Therefore, Jones vectors are convenient to mathematically describe polarized laser beams.
It is noted that the electric field vector is fully defined by the corresponding Jones vector . Henceforth
in this thesis, I refer to Jones vectors using either the notation or , for clarity, depending on the
circumstances.
In this example, the electric field vector is oriented at +45˚ of the axes of the coordinate system.
Therefore the amplitudes and are equal.

Figure 1.10: Schematic showing the vector of a linearly polarized ray of light directed perpendicularly to
the plane of this page, represented in a coordinate system .
Advanced polarization control for optimizing ultrafast laser micro-processing 32

1.3.2.2 Jones vector for linearly polarized light

With a linearly polarized light (see Figure 1.10), both phase components and are equal (for
convenience, they are both set equal to zero). In this case, both electric field components and are
in phase and oscillate together, reaching their maximum amplitude at the same time, decreasing and
reaching their minimum amplitude at the same time and so on (see Figure 1.11). Therefore, the
resulting vector oscillates only within one orientation (i.e. along the dotted line in Figure 1.10). If we
define for example , the Jones vector representing linear polarization is: .

1.3.2.3 Jones vector for elliptically polarized light

If the two phase components and are not equal, the electric field components and are
not in phase and do not oscillate together. For example when reaches a maximum, is still
increasing. When reaches its maximum has already started decreasing and so on (see Figure
1.12). This, in general causes the electric field vector to change its orientation and amplitude over
time. As the field vector forms an elliptical pattern over a period of oscillation, this type of polarization
configuration is called elliptical. This is generally described by defining and . If we
define for example , we have the following Jones vector: , which defines in
general an elliptical polarization.

1.3.2.4 Jones vector for circularly polarized light

A particular case is where the two phase components and have a relative shift of a quarter of
the period of oscillation: . This means that the phase of leads that of by a quarter
of period (i.e. a phase of ). At the instant has reached its maximum amplitude, is zero. Then
decreases as increases. is zero when is maximum and so on (see Figure 1.13). This causes
the electric field vector to change its orientation continuously, while keeping a constant amplitude
over time. In this case, the field vector forms a circular pattern over a period of oscillation and this type
of polarization configuration is called circular. The corresponding Jones vector is: .
33 Introduction

Figure 1.11: Plot showing the time dependence of the components and of an electric field vector
representing a linearly polarized ray of light. Here, = , .

Figure 1.12: Plot showing the time dependence of the components and of an electric field vector
representing a elliptically polarized ray of light. Here, , , .

Figure 1.13: Plot showing the time dependence of the components and of an electric field vector
representing a circularly polarized ray of light. Here, , , .
Advanced polarization control for optimizing ultrafast laser micro-processing 34

1.3.3 Mathematical representation of waveplates: Jones matrixes

In this section we explain, using matrices, how birefringent optical components such as waveplates
affect the polarization of light transmitted through them. For a detailed description of matrix
mathematics, see K. F. Riley et al. (2002).

1.3.3.1 Waveplates and Jones matrixes

A waveplate, or phase retarder, is an optical element that introduces a phase difference between the
electric field components and (A. Yariv & P. Yeh, 1984). It works by making each component of
the electromagnetic wave (corresponding to the electric field or ) travel through it with a different
speed. As a result, there is a cumulative phase difference between the two wave components as
they emerge from the waveplate. The phase difference is the main attribute of a waveplate. The
physical phenomenon that causes each component of the electromagnetic wave to travel at different
speeds is called birefringence and will be further detailed in Section 1.3.4.
Here we are interested in mathematically describing waveplates by using matrixes. A matrix that
represents a waveplate is called a Jones matrix, and can be defined as:
(1.2)
We describe the polarization of the electromagnetic wave incident on a waveplate using a Jones vector
noted . The polarization of the wave that emerges from this waveplate is noted . By definition, the
relation between the Jones vectors and is as follows:
(1.3)

1.3.3.2 Case where linearly polarized light is incident on a waveplate

If is the linearly polarized light described in Section 1.3.2.2 above, we have . Then we can
derive in the following way:
(1.4)
Equation (1.4) is the mathematical expression that the waveplate introduces a phase difference
between the electric field components and of the incident wave.
For example if the linearly polarized light described in Section 1.3.2.2 above, , is incident on a
waveplate with a value of , the resulting Jones vector is . In other words, the waveplate
has introduced a phase shift of (i.e. a quarter of periodic oscillation) between the components of the
electric field. As a result, the incident linear polarization has been converted to circular polarization,
defined by the Jones vector , as the field emerges from the waveplate. This type of waveplate is
called quarter-waveplate, as it induce a phase retardance of a quarter of the period of oscillation of the
electric field (i.e. a phase of ).

1.3.3.3 Case where circularly polarized light is incident on a waveplate

If the incident light, , is the circularly polarized light described in Section 1.3.2.4 above, we have
. As before, we can derive in the following way:
35 Introduction

(1.5)
Here, the waveplate introduces an extra phase shift between the electric field components and
of the incident wave. As the incident polarization was circular (i.e. with an existing phase shift of
between and ), the resulting overall phase shift after emerging from the waveplate will be .
If the waveplate has a phase retardance value of (i.e. a quarter-waveplate), the overall phase
shift of the resulting wave will be . Therefore the resulting Jones vector will be . In
complex number formalism, . Thus we have , which defines a linear polarization,
with a direction of electric field oscillation oriented orthogonally to that of the incident light. Here, we
have shown that a circularly polarized beam incident on a quarter-waveplate is converted into a linearly
polarize beam.
In this thesis, various phase retardance optics are used to introduce a phase shift between the two
electric field components of a laser beam and convert its polarization state.

1.3.4 Birefringence
Certain materials have anisotropic optical properties. For example, birefringent materials are so
named because they have two distinct values for refractive index. This is due to the anisotropic forces
binding the electrons of these materials, causing anisotropic response to a stimulating electromagnetic
wave propagating through them. In other words, the electrons tend to oscillate preferentially along one
direction, where the binding force is weaker (see F. L. Pedrotti & L. S. Pedrotti, 1993).
We can define a reference coordinate system with and axes directed perpendicularly to the light
propagation, so that the axis corresponds to the direction of the strong binding force, where the
electron oscillation is weaker (also called the optical axis of the material) and is perpendicular to (i.e.
along the preferential direction of electron oscillation). The presence of anisotropic binding forces along
the and directions leads to different refractive indexes: corresponding to the component of
electric field oscillation along the axis and corresponding to that along the axis. This results in
different velocities of light propagation along each axis: light travel faster along the axis, where the
interaction with the electrons of the material is weaker (the axis is sometimes referred to as the fast
axis).
This type of optical behavior occurs in materials such as calcite crystal, which have an anisotropic
crystalline structure. It is noted that birefringence is also dependant on wavelength and that a given
material is only birefringent within a portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. Birefringence is used to
make phase retardance optics, such as waveplates. This is done by cutting and polishing a birefringent
material in a direction parallel to its optical axis.

1.3.5 Fresnel’s coefficients and Brewster’s angle

When a laser beam is incident on the surface of a material, a fraction of the beam power is absorbed
by the material and the remainder is reflected from the surface. The reflectivity of a material is the
fraction of power in the incident beam that is reflected from a planar surface of the material. The
reflectivity of a material depends on a number of parameters. Of particular relevance in this thesis is the
dependence of reflectivity with the angle of incidence of the incident light, as well as its polarization.
Advanced polarization control for optimizing ultrafast laser micro-processing 36

To describe this, we can consider the case where a narrow beam of polarized light is incident at an
arbitrary angle on a flat surface, as represented in Figure 1.14. A distinction is made between light
which is polarized parallel to the plane of incidence (i.e. with the electric field oscillating within the
plane of the page, see Figure 1.14) and light which is polarized orthogonal to the plane of incidence (i.e.
with the electric field oscillating in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the page). The former is
often referred to as p-polarization, or and the latter as s-polarization, or . The incident light can
consists of a combination of a p-polarized component an s-polarized one.
The reflectivity of a material illuminated under p-polarized light is not always the same as that of the
same material under s-polarized light. These reflectivities can be calculated using the well-known
Fresnel formula (S. Nolte et al. 1999; F. Dausinger & J. Shen, 1993):
(1.6)

(1.7)
and are the amplitude ratios of the reflected to incident electric fields for p- and s-polarized light
respectively, with and as the electric field amplitude of the incident and reflected light
respectively. is the angle between the direction of the incident light and the surface normal. The
reflectivity for both p- and s-polarized light is then obtained from:
(1.8)
(1.9)
In this thesis, we are especially interested in the reflectivity of absorbing materials such as metals. In
this case, the index of refraction in the Fresnel Equations 1.6 and 1.7 has to be replaced with a
complex value , where is the so-called extinction coefficient that describes the exponential
decay of the electric field inside the material. The index of refraction and extinction coefficient depend
on the material and wavelength. For example, the typical values for steel are =0.9 and =2.25 in the
visible spectrum (S. Nolte et al. 1999). Replacing these values in Equations 1.6 and 1.7 and the results in
Equations 1.8 and 1.9 above enables deriving the reflectivity of steel under p- and s-polarized light
illumination as a function of the angle of incidence. The results are plotted in Figure 1.15. It can be seen
that when the angle of incidence is close to normal ( 0˚), the influence of the direction of polarization
is negligible. However when the angle of incidence is around 80˚, the reflectivity for p-polarized light is
close to its minimum value around 47%, whereas the reflectivity for s-polarized light is around 94% (S.
Nolte et al. 1999). In this case, the intensity of light reflected from the surface is higher by approximately
a factor of two compared to the previous case. This angle is called Brewster angle. This consideration is
important since laser drilling high-aspect-ratio holes in metals generally produces internal reflections on
the sidewalls around the hole with an angle of incidence close to 80˚. This means that controlling the
state of polarization of the beam is important to ensure a good quality and efficiency of the drilling
process.
37 Introduction

Figure 1.14: Schematic showing a beam of light (top left) incident on the surface of a material. The incident
beam consists of both a p-polarized component and an s-polarized one. Some of the incident power is
absorbed by the material and some is reflected from the surface. Depending on the angle of incidence ,
the value of reflectivity is not always identical for the p-polarized component and for the s-polarized one.

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90
Angle of incidence

Figure 1.15: Reflectivity of steel as a function of the angle of incidence , for p- and s-polarized light
illumination. Various types of steel have slightly different value of reflectivity. This plot is taken from S.
Nolte et al. 1999.
Advanced polarization control for optimizing ultrafast laser micro-processing 38

1.3.6 Cylindrical Vector Beams

Most past research in industrial laser processing dealt with spatially uniform states of polarization,
such as linear, elliptical and circular polarizations. In each of these cases, the state of polarization does
not depend on the spatial location within the profile of the laser beam: the state of polarization is the
same at all locations within a given beam cross-section. Recently, there has been an increasing interest
in laser beams with a spatially varying state of polarization (Q. Zhan, 2009). Spatially structuring the
state of polarization of a laser beam affects its focal properties, when focused by a lens, as well as the
way it interacts with materials.
Of particular interest is the case where the oscillating electric field vectors are cylindrically symmetric
around the cross-section of the laser beam. Such beams are often referred to as Cylindrical Vector
Beams (CVBs). Two particular cases of CVBs are those with a radial or an azimuthal polarization structure
(Figure 1.16). For example, the Jones vector representing an azimuthally polarized laser beam can be
written as:
(1.10)
represents the polar angle in a Cartesian coordinate system (see Figure 1.16-c). In this configuration,
the Jones vector (which varies spatially with the polar angle ) represents an electric field always
oscillating in an azimuthal orientation, regardless of . It is noted that this Jones vector should not be
confused with that representing a linear polarization oriented at an angle . The latter does not vary
spatially with the polar angle .
In the example describe in Equation 1.10 above, the CVB only has a polarization structure (azimuthal
in that case). It does not have a phase structure (i.e. the beam has a planar wavefront). CVBs can also be
produced with a spatially varying phase structure such as a vortex phase. A beam with a vortex phase
structure can be described as if it had a helical phase front, or a topological charge in its phase structure.
This is why these types of beams are said to carry an Orbital Angular Momentum (OAM). Laser beams
can have both a polarization and a phase structure (M. Beresna et al.2011). For example, the Jones
vector representing an azimuthally polarized vortex phase beams can be written as:
(1.11)
The second term in Equation 1.11 represents an electric field oscillating azimuthally as detailed in
Equation 1.10 above. The first term is the phase vortex element. For example the electric field oscillating
at a polar angle in the coordinate system has a Jones vector , whereas
the electric field oscillating at an angle has a Jones vector . This means
has a phase delay of compared to . The overall phase structure of the beam forms a
vortex pattern (Q. Zhan, 2009).
The transformative properties of CVBs such as those with a radial or azimuthal polarization and/or a
vortex phase structure include their isotropic laser-material interactions, controllable laser-material
energy coupling, and sub-diffraction limited focal spot size. Moreover, they also enable a greater control
over the focal energy distribution (Q. Zhan, 2009). Some of these structured beams are starting to be
explored for microscopy and telecommunication applications. The field of laser manufacturing is
another very promising and yet not very well explored application.
A wide range of CVBs can be produced. A CVB is defined by its polarization and phase structures. Four
types of CVB are of special importance in this thesis: radially and azimuthally polarized beams with a
39 Introduction

planar phase and radially and azimuthally polarized beam with a pitch phase vortex (i.e. a topological
charge of 1).

a) b) c)

Figure 1.16: (a) Schematic showing the overall polarization structure (i.e. the vectors ) in the cross-section
of an azimuthally polarized beam. (b) Schematic showing the polarization structure of a radially polarized
beam. These schematics are taken from Q. Zhan, 2009. (c) Schematic of the cross-section of an azimuthally
polarized beam, showing a vector represented in a coordinate system . For each value of , the
vector is azimuthally oriented.
Advanced polarization control for optimizing ultrafast laser micro-processing 40

1.4 Introduction to liquid-crystal technology

Liquid-crystal-based devices have been used for display applications since the early 1970s (G. W. Gray
et al. 1973). Following tremendous technological developments, their use has spread to advanced
control of the phase and polarization of laser beams in a number of scientific applications (P. De-Genne,
1974; M. Stalder & M. Schadt, 1996; Z. Kuang et al. 2009a). However due to the sensitivity of liquid-
crystals to high laser power, it was believed that they could not be used in industrial laser
manufacturing. Nevertheless, the most recent generation of liquid-crystal devices has proven to be
resilient to high-average-power laser beams. In this thesis, liquid-crystal devices are demonstrated for
use in industrial laser manufacturing applications.

1.4.1 Liquid-crystals

1.4.1.1 Definition and properties

Liquid-crystals are a type of material which, under certain conditions, has properties between those
of a conventional liquid and those of a solid crystal. By definition, they are liquids in which an ordered
arrangement of molecules exists (A. Yariv & P Yeh, 1984). Liquid-crystal materials generally consist of
organic substances with sharply anisometric molecules, that is, large elongated molecules or flat
molecules. The molecule size is typically larger than 1 nm. It is noted that liquid-crystal materials are not
always in a liquid-crystal state. For example, varying the temperature and concentration of liquid
crystals can drive them into either a conventional solid or liquid state. A very large number of chemical
compounds are known to have liquid crystalline states. Although liquid-crystal materials can be
synthesized by chemical processes, they also exist in the natural world. For example, many proteins and
cell membranes are liquid-crystals.
Because of their physical properties, the application of an external electric field to liquid-crystals
alters their arrangement. Thanks to the orientational ordering of the anisometric molecules, liquid-
crystals are generally birefringent and affect the polarization of light transmitted through them. Liquid-
crystals exist in various arrangements, or phases.

1.4.1.2 Nematic phase

The most widely used phase of liquid-crystals is the nematic phase, where rod-shaped organic
molecules have no positional order, but self-align to have a long-range directional order with their long
axes roughly parallel (see Figure 1.17). Most nematic liquid-crystals are uniaxial: they have one axis that
is longer and the other two being equivalent.

Figure 1.17: Schematics representing nematic liquid-crystal molecules aligned preferentially along their long
axis. In this example, all the liquid-crystal molecules point roughly along the vertical direction.
41 Introduction

1.4.1.3 Smectic phase

Other phases of liquid-crystals exist, such as the smectic phases, which are generally found at lower
temperatures than the nematic. Smectic phases have molecules oriented preferentially along one
direction, like in a nematic phase. Like their nematic counterparts, the orientation of smectic liquid-
crystals can be altered by applying an external electric field. However they also have well-defined layers
that can slide over one another (see Figure 1.18). In some types of smectic phases, the liquid-crystal
molecules are tilted at an angle from the direction normal to the layers. This type of phase is called
smectic C. It has been shown that, under certain conditions, smectic C liquid-crystals feature a
ferroelectric behavior. This means they have a spontaneous electrical polarization, even when no
external electrical field is applied. This type of liquid-crystals is referred to as ferroelectric liquid-crystals
(FLC).

Figure 1.18: Schematics representing smectic liquid-crystals, where the molecules are arranged in multiple
layers. In this example, the molecules are pointing along an average direction that is tilted from the
direction normal to the multiple layers. This is called a smectic C phase.

1.4.2 Ferroelectric liquid-crystal polarization rotator

Some of the experimental research in this thesis used a liquid-crystal polarization rotation device
manufactured by Boulder Nonlinear Systems Inc. (Figure 1.19). This polarization rotation device is based
on a ferroelectric liquid-crystal technology: a thin active layer of ferroelectric liquid-crystals is
sandwiched between two optically flat protective glass plates, each coated with a transparent electrode
(indium tin oxide, or ITO). A summary of the manufacturing method used to make these devices is given
in Figure 1.20. Applying an electric field to the electrodes surrounding the active layer of liquid-crystals
modifies their birefringent properties. As a result, the device rotates the direction of polarization of light
transmitted through it. Applying an appropriate analog electric voltage signal to the device can produce
a fast switching speed between two orthogonal polarization directions i.e. the polarization of the
transmitted light can be quickly rotated between two orthogonal directions. The response time of the
device is typically less than 100µs and the produced polarization purity is 99%. The analog driving
voltage signal is typically applied and controlled using a programmable function generator.

Figure 1.19: Polarization rotation device manufactured by Boulder Nonlinear Systems Inc. These devices are
based on a ferroelectric liquid-crystal technology and rotate the polarization of transmitted light when a
analogue voltage is applied. The polarization rotation device has a clear aperture of 25mm and its optical
surfaces are coated with an anti-reflection layer for maximum transmission efficiency.
Advanced polarization control for optimizing ultrafast laser micro-processing 42

Precision glass substrate

Transparent electrode (ITO)
Fixed thickness spacer
Polymer alignment layer
Active liquid-crystal layer
Figure 1.20: Cross sectional representation of the polarization rotator. The assembly of the polarization
rotator includes several stages. Transparent conductive layers (ITO) are first coated on a pair of optically flat
glass substrates. Each substrate is subsequently coated with a polymer layer. These polymer layers are then
rubbed to form tiny micro-grooves along one direction, so as to provide a preferred alignment direction for
the liquid crystals. The two substrates are assembled with spacers, so that they are parallel to each other
and with a few microns gap between them. The cavity between the substrates is then filled with the liquid-
crystal material and sealed.

1.4.3 Nematic liquid-crystal spatial light modulator

Part of the experimental work described in this thesis uses a Liquid-Crystal On Silicon (LCOS) Spatial
Light Modulator (SLM) manufactured by Hamamatsu Photonics K.K. (Figure 1.21). This SLM is a reflective
device made of a two-dimensional array of pixels, where a thin layer of nematic liquid-crystals is
sandwiched between a protective glass substrate with a coated transparent electrode, and a reflective
silicon substrate. A schematic of the device can be seen in Figure 1.22. When no voltage is applied, the
liquid-crystals are all aligned parallel to each other. Thus, this technology is called “parallel-aligned
nematics”.
Thanks to its liquid-crystal pixel array, the SLM can locally modify the optical properties of an incident
laser beam. Each pixel is independently controlled by a direct, accurate voltage from the controller
driving the SLM (Figure 1.23). The SLM controller is itself controlled from a PC via a standard DVI
connection. A graphical user interface enables dynamic control of the SLM pixel array from the PC.
Typically, a bitmap file is used to express the required voltage for each pixel. The bitmap file, displayed
in the graphical user interface, enables to visualize each pixel voltage as a grey level. Depending on the
chosen optical configuration, the liquid-crystals can either modify the wavefront, or the state of
polarization of the laser beam.
In a first type of configuration, the state of polarization of the laser beam incident on the SLM is
linear, with the direction of the electric field vector set parallel to optical axis of the liquid-crystals. Each
pixel of the two-dimensional array induces a phase delay, proportional to the voltage applied by the
controller. Inducing a relative phase delay between the pixels of the SLM shapes the wavefront of the
laser beam. It is noted that only the phase of the incident laser beam is modulated; its polarization is
unaffected (i.e. it remains linear). Therefore, this type of SLM is sometimes referred to as “phase-only”
SLM as it only affects the phase of the beam. This approach is used for example to produce dynamic
holograms that shape the amplitude distribution at the focal plane of a laser micro-processing bench (Z.
Kuang et al. 2009b, D. Liu et al. 2010).
A second type of optical configuration uses an incident laser beam with a linear polarization, the
direction of which is oriented at 45˚ from the optical axis of the liquid-crystals. This configuration
enables to spatially modify the polarization of the incident laser beam by using the birefringence
properties of the liquid-crystals. Applying the appropriate voltage to each pixel enables to precisely set
its birefringence. This configuration, which enables to spatially control the polarization of a laser beam,
will be further detailed later in this thesis.
43 Introduction

Figure 1.21: Nematic liquid-crystal Spatial Light Modulator (SLM) from Hamamatsu Photonics K.K. This SLM
is made of reflective liquid-crystal pixels arranged in a two-dimensional array. The SLM is driven by a
controller which provides the appropriate voltage required to drive the liquid-crystal pixels.

Glass substrate Transparent electrode

Liquid-crystal layer
Polymer alignment layer
Dielectric mirror
Silicon substrate

Figure 1.22: Cross sectional representation of the LCOS-SLM device. The device is made from a glass
substrate, a transparent electrode, alignment polymer films, a layer of nematic liquid-crystals, a dielectric
mirror and a silicon substrate.

Incident light

Liquid-crystal pixels

Figure 1.23: Schematics showing a cross-section of the liquid-crystal pixels of the SLM (three pixels are
shown here). The liquid-crystals are sandwiched between a reflective CMOS chip in the pack-plane (in pink
on the right) and a transparent film in the front (in white on the left). Applying an electric field to the liquid-
crystals changes their orientation. This, in turn, affects the optical properties of the incident light. This
schematic is taken from www.hamamatsu.com.
Advanced polarization control for optimizing ultrafast laser micro-processing 44

1.5 This thesis

This thesis presents a study of ultrafast laser micro-processing using advanced, liquid-crystal-based
technologies for controlling the state of polarization of the laser beam and improve the processing
efficiency and quality.
In this chapter, I have given a basic introduction to the relevant fields of optics and laser engineering.
In Chapter 2, I introduce advanced optical measurement methods to analyze the phase and polarization
response of the optical setups designed in this thesis. In Chapter 3, I use a polarization rotation device to
control the polarization direction dynamically during laser processing of stainless steel. In Chapter 4, I
present an optical setup which enables to produce Cylindrical Vector Beams. Chapter 5 details an
analytical method to model the state of polarization in the focal region of the optical setup presented in
Chapter 4. Chapter 6 details the experimental results obtained when micro-machining stainless steel
plates with the optical setup shown in Chapter 4. The final chapter (Chapter 7) sums up the results
presented in the rest of this work and maps out potential future industrial applications. A number of
areas where future studies could enable to further improve the quality and efficiency of micro-processes
are suggested.
45 Introduction
Advanced polarization control for optimizing ultrafast laser micro-processing 46

2
Innovative optical diagnostic techniques:
verifying phase stability of SLMs and
analyzing polarization

2.1 Introduction
Polarization and phase are physical quantities which cannot be measured easily. To characterize the
polarization and phase of a laser beam, indirect methods have to be used (see for example S. F. Nee,
2000 and P. Schlup et al. 2008). In the research presented in this thesis, innovative optical setups are
designed to control the polarization and phase of laser beams. In order to characterize these optical
designs, their polarization and phase response under various experimental conditions has been
measured, using indirect methods.
The state of polarization in the focal region of the optical setups presented in this thesis is of
particular importance and needs to be analyzed. In the experimental methods described in the literature
(see for example P. L. Fuhr, 1984), the polarization of a laser-based optical setup is always analyzed in
the regions of the beam path where the beam is collimated i.e. before any focusing optics. Several types
of polarizing filters can be used to analyze a collimated beam. For example a Glan-laser polarizing filter
produces an excellent polarization purity by splitting the beam between its s- and p-polarized
components, using the differential in reflectivity between s-and p-polarization at Brewster's angle in a
calcite crystal. However this method is only appropriate for analyzing the polarization of a collimated
laser beam, not that of a focused beam. Although some experimental methods have been demonstrated
for studying the focal properties of beams with various polarization modes (for example Y. H. Fu et al.
2003), no experimental methods exist for analyzing polarization in the focal region of an optic. On the
other hand, several theoretical models have been proposed to predict the state of polarization in the
focal volume of various optics using numerical methods (see for example J. Lekner, 2003 and Q. Zhan &
J. R. Leger, 2002). However, these theoretical methods cannot be verified experimentally. To analyze the
state of polarization in the focal region of an optical setup, a new experimental method is required.
This chapter presents a novel technique for analyzing polarization in the focal region of an ultrashort-
pulse laser processing system. This technique involves using ultrashort laser pulses to produce
wavelength-sized Laser Induced Periodic Surface Structures (LIPSS) on the surface of stainless steel
samples placed at, above or below the focal plane. As LIPSS develop in a direction orthogonal to that of
the local polarization vectors (Z. Guosheng et al. 1982), they enable one to deduce indirectly the local
polarization vector field at any given plane of interest. The advantages and limitations of this technique
are discussed and several experimental examples are given in Section 2.2.
47 Innovative optical diagnostic techniques: verifying phase stability of SLMs and analyzing polarization

In this thesis, novel optical setups based on SLMs are introduced and implemented in ultrafast laser
processing benches. Various configurations of these optical setups are used in Chapters 3, 4 and 6. As
the average beam power P available on the ultrafast laser processing benches was generally limited to
P<0.5W, these experiments had therefore to be carried out using low average powers. However,
industrial applications often use high-average-power laser beams (P>5W). If high-average-power beams
were to affect the optical properties of the SLMs (e.g. by inducing phase instability), it would invalidate
the transferability of this research to industry. Hence the compatibility of SLMs with high-average-power
beams needs to be demonstrated. An SLM works by modulating the phase of a laser beam.
Demonstrating that exposure to high-average-power beams does not affect the phase modulation
induced by an SLM would establish the transferability to industry of the experimental results presented
in Chapters 3, 4 and 6. Therefore, the SLMs used in this research need to be tested at high average-
power and a phase diagnostic of the beam is required. As the ultrafast laser processing benches used in
Chapters 3, 4 and 6 do not have sufficient average beam power, a high-average-power nanosecond-
pulse laser source is used to test the phase stability of the SLM.
Measuring the phase of a laser beam is more complicated than measuring its polarization. One
method for analyzing a beam phasefront is using a Shack–Hartmann sensor, where the beam is passed
through a two-dimensional array of tiny lenses followed by a CCD detector. The local tilt of the
phasefront causes a shift in the position of the focal spot on the CCD detector. The phase of the original
beam can be reconstructed by measuring the focal spot shift in each location (see for example S. G.
Garanin et al. 2012). However, this type of detector is sensitive to high-average-power beams.
Implementing a Shack-Hartmann sensor in the laser bench used for high-average-power tests is
therefore complicated.
To measure the phase stability of the SLMs used in this research, an alternative method is used. An
SLM is programmed to induce a phase grating that splits the beam between a zero- and a first-order
beam. The SLM is then exposed to a high-average-power beam for several hours and the diffraction
efficiency monitored for the duration of the experiments. The observed variation of the diffraction
efficiency gives an indication of the stability of the phase modulation induced by the SLM. The details of
this technique, the experimental results and the applicability to industry of the SLM-based optical setups
are discussed in Section 2.3.

2.2 Development of a novel polarization mapping technique

2.2.1 Laser Induced Periodic Surface Structures (LIPSS)

Spontaneous periodic surface structures produced by laser irradiation of a solid material close to its
ablation threshold have been widely observed since the early 1970s. Henceforth in this thesis, I refer to
them as Laser Induced Periodic Surface Structures (LIPSS). As detailed in the literature (see for example
Z. Guosheng et al. 1982), LIPSS have been produced on metals, semiconductors and dielectrics. They
always develop initially along a direction perpendicular to that of the local polarization vector and their
period is often close to the wavelength of the incident laser beam. Early research focused on
characterizing LIPSS under various experimental conditions, and explaining the physical phenomenon
that produced them. Although a variety of mechanisms had been suggested to explain their formation, it
Advanced polarization control for optimizing ultrafast laser micro-processing 48

is now widely acknowledged that they are produced by the interference between the incident laser
beam and the surface scattered wave (see R. Le Harzic et al. 2011). As LIPSS are now well understood,
more recent research focused on making use of LIPSS in various applications. For example, diffractive
gratings were produced on titanium in L. Mellor (2011). The tribological properties of surfaces textured
with LIPSS for mechanical lubrication applications were also studied in J. Eichstadt et al. (2011).
Thanks to their size close to laser wavelength and their orientation perpendicular to polarization,
LIPSS can also be used as a high-resolution diagnostic tool to check the local state of polarization in the
focal region of a focused laser beam. In this chapter, I will show that LIPSS are a useful tool for verifying
the polarization properties of the optical setups presented in this thesis.

2.2.2 Experimental setup

To demonstrate that LIPSS can be used as a polarization mapping tool, I used a micro-processing
bench with a Clark-MXR CPA2010 femtosecond-pulse laser source. The laser has a minimum pulse width
of 160fs, a 775nm central wavelength, a spectral bandwidth of 5nm, a 1mJ maximum pulse energy, a
1kHz pulse repetition rate and a horizontal linear polarization. The laser output was attenuated by a
half-waveplate and a Glan laser polarizer. A quarter-waveplate was used to produce either a linear or
circular polarization. As shown in Figure 2.1, after reflection on Mirrors 3 and 4 the beam entered the
10mm aperture of a scanning galvanometer system (made by GSI Lumonics) with a flat field lens (f =
100mm, NA=0.03), driven by a programmable PC interface board (Scanlab). Samples were mounted on a
precision 4-axis (x, y, z, θ) motion control system (Npaq system, produced by Aerotech) allowing
accurate positioning of the sample in the focal plane.

Autocorrelator Clark-MXR
CPA-2010
PO
Mirror 1 775nm
~1%
Scanning 160fs
Galvo Mirror 4
Fast shutter
Main Shutter
λ/2 Plate

Flat Field Polarizer

Lens

Direction of propagation
4 Axis Stage Mirror 3 Mirror 2
PO: Pick off
λ/4 Plate

Figure 2.1: Schematic of the experimental setup used to produce LIPSS on stainless steel samples. The
quarter-waveplate fast axis is rotated to produce either a linearly or a circularly polarized beam.
49 Innovative optical diagnostic techniques: verifying phase stability of SLMs and analyzing polarization

2.2.3 Mapping the polarization in the focal region of a laser beam

To produce the LIPSS, the polished surface of a stainless steel work-piece was marked with the laser
pulse energy attenuated to 6µJ (1.8J/cm²), using the setup described in Figure 2.1. Each point was
exposed to 15 laser pulses, producing spot diameters of 40+/-5µm. In this thesis, a wider focal spot is
desirable as it is convenient for micro-processing larger areas. The fast axis of the quarter-waveplate
(Figure 2.1) was oriented to produce a linearly or circularly polarized beam in turn.
After processing, I analyzed the laser-marked spots with an optical microscope. Figure 2.2-a shows
the LIPSS within the laser spot produced with a linearly polarized beam. The LIPSS formed as recurring
linear structures oriented perpendicular to the direction of polarization. This is consistent with the
experimental results described in the relevant literature (such as R. Le Harzic et al. 2011). Figure 2.2-b
shows the laser spot produced with a circularly polarized beam. No structures could be clearly identified
within the spot. LIPSS are absent in this case because the direction of the polarization vector rotates
many times within each femtosecond laser pulse, preventing the formation of LIPSS (Z. Guosheng et al.
1982).

a) b)
10µm 10µm

c) d)

5µm 5µm

Figure 2.2: Optical micrographs showing laser-marked spots produced on a stainless steel surface by 15+/-5
femtosecond pulses at energy E=6µJ per pulse (1.8J/cm²). A linearly polarized beam was used in (a), where
the blue arrow indicates the polarization direction. A circularly polarized beam was used in (b). The
highlighted areas (green rectangles) are magnified in (c): linear polarization and (d): circular polarization.
Only the linear polarization produced clearly visible LIPSS, oriented perpendicular to the direction of
polarization.
Advanced polarization control for optimizing ultrafast laser micro-processing 50

The results in Figure 2.2 confirm that, thanks to LIPSS, a microscopic analysis of laser-marked spots
enables us to find out the state of polarization at the focal plane of a laser micro-processing setup. For
example, we can discriminate between circular and linear polarization, or determine the direction of
incoming linear polarization. However, experimental evidence also shows that if the incident
polarization is elliptical with a strong elongation (for example if the ellipse that describes polarization
has its axial-ratio < 0.3), the LIPSS develop perpendicularly to the long axis of the ellipse. This makes it
difficult to discriminate between linear polarization and an elliptical polarization with a strong
elongation and could be seen as a limitation in this method of analyzing polarization. For material
processing, an elliptical polarization with a strong elongation (i.e. an ellipse with axial ratio < 0.3)
couples almost in the same way (within 10%) as a linear polarization oriented parallel to the long axis of
the ellipse (Figure 2.3). The irradiance induced from the electric field component oriented parallel to the
long axis of the ellipse carries over 90% of the total beam irradiance in such a case. Hence this drawback
is not considered too problematic, as far as material processing is concerned.
LIPSS can be used for analyzing a static, uniform polarization at the focal plane, as shown in Figure 2.2
above. However, they are especially powerful when analyzing complex, structured polarization modes
such as CVBs. Thanks to their small size ( λ), LIPSS enable high-resolution analysis of the structure of
CVBs in the focal regions. In the example shown in Figure 2.4, from U. Klug et al. (2010), the space-
dependent structures of the polarization vectors at the focal plane are clearly visible. This method will
be further detailed in Chapter 4.

Figure 2.3: Schematic representing an elliptical polarization, where and are the electric field vectors
along the long and short axis respectively. In this example we define . By definition, the
irradiance components induced from the electric field vectors and , are and
respectively. Furthermore, we have . Therefore we can write . This means the
overall irradiance is dominated by its component .
51 Innovative optical diagnostic techniques: verifying phase stability of SLMs and analyzing polarization

Figure 2.4: SEM images of steel surfaces exposed to picosecond-laser pulses (532nm) with radial (left) and
azimuthal (right) polarization. These images are taken from U. Klug et al. (2010).

2.2.4 LIPSS as a dynamic polarization diagnostic

Some industrial laser processes, such as polarization trepanning, use a linear polarization with a
direction that varies during the scanning of the laser beam. An example of this is shown in Figure 2.5-a.
LIPSS can be produced at low pulse energies prior to laser machining, to check the appropriate
orientation of polarization in each region of the beam path. This enables one to calibrate a laser
processing bench and verify the polarization of a focused beam along a chosen scanning path.
To demonstrate this, a polished stainless steel surface was processed with the beam scanning path
shown in Figure 2.5-a, using the femtosecond-pulse laser processing bench described above (see Figure
2.1). In this case the quarter-waveplate was replaced with dynamic polarization optics, which are further
detailed in Chapter 3. The pulse energy was attenuated to E=5µJ per pulse (1.5J/cm²) and the chosen
scan speed was 2mm/s. The overall exposure to the laser beam was around 1 second, corresponding to
approximately 10 overscans. After processing, the produced laser beam track was analyzed with an
optical microscope. A high-resolution optical micrograph of the beam track is shown in Figure 2.5-b.
The microscopic analysis allowed me to verify the direction of the LIPSS in each region of the beam
path and to confirm the relevant orientation of the polarization. However, this method involves using a
high-magnification microscope and can be time consuming. To stream-line the verification process, I
used the diffractive properties of the LIPSS (which were studied in details in L. Mellor, 2011). When the
laser track was illuminated with low-angle lights located on either side of the sample, only the regions
where the polarization was parallel (i.e. where the LIPSS were perpendicular) to the direction of
illumination diffracted the light and were visible in the microscope images (Figure 2.5-c). This method
enables one to quickly check the polarization configuration of several beam tracks simultaneously
without the need for high-magnification microscopy. In the example shown in Figure 2.6, several beam
tracks were produced. The experimental parameters were similar to those used to produce the beam
track shown above in Figure 2.5, except for the direction of polarization within the beam path, which
was varied between each track shown in Figure 2.6. For each of these tracks, a synchronization delay is
introduced between the polarization rotation optic and the beam scanning optics.
Advanced polarization control for optimizing ultrafast laser micro-processing 52

a)

b)

4μm

10μm
c)

Direction of scanning

Direction polarization

10μm Direction of low-angle illumination

Figure 2.5: (a) Schematic showing the laser beam scanning path (black arrows). The direction of polarization
in each region of the beam path is also shown (red arrows). (b) Optical micrographs showing the laser beam
track produced on a stainless steel surface by scanning at 2mm/s with 5µJ per pulse (1.5J/cm²), for 1s (~10
overscans). (c) Optical micrograph showing the laser beam track under low-angle side illumination (white
arrows). Thanks to the diffractive properties of the LIPSS (L. Mellor, 2011), only the regions of the beam
track with a polarization parallel to the direction of illumination reflect the low-angle light. It is noted that,
as the centre of the beam track is deeper than the edges, it reflects less light.
53 Innovative optical diagnostic techniques: verifying phase stability of SLMs and analyzing polarization

100μm

Figure 2.6: Optical micrograph showing several circular laser beam tracks under low-angle side illumination
(white arrows). Thanks to the diffractive properties of the LIPSS, the polarization configuration of each track
can be quickly determined.

2.2.5 Discussion
In this section it was shown that LIPSS can be used to analyze the polarization in the focal region of a
laser micro-processing bench, which is a notoriously difficult thing to do. Producing LIPSS requires
applying ultrashort laser pulses to a surface, using laser fluences close to the ablation threshold of the
material. As a consequence of incubation effects, the contrast of the LIPSS can be improved by applying
several pulses to each region. For example, an overscan of 10 at the appropriate scan speed enables one
to produce clearly visible LIPSS. The produced LIPSS' orientation is orthogonal to the polarization vectors
of the beam and their pitch is similar to the wavelength. This method can be used for analysing a static,
uniform polarization such as linear or circular at the focal plane. However there are several restrictions:
 An elliptical polarization cannot be characterized accurately using this method.
 This method can only analyse the transverse components of the polarization. Therefore, it is not
accurate for analysing the polarization in the focal region of a high NA optic.
 This method cannot be used to analyse the polarization of collimated beams, since LIPSS can only be
produced in the focal region of an optic, where the fluence is appropriate i.e. slightly above the
ablation threshold of the target material.
In spite of these restrictions, this method is very powerful when analysing complex, structured
polarization modes, or dynamically controlled polarizations, focused with a low NA lens. LIPSS enable to
clearly visualize the state of polarization in the focal region. In this thesis, novel optical setups are
designed to produce CVBs or dynamically controlled states of polarization and LIPSS are used to help
characterizing and calibrating these new optical setups (see Chapters 3 and 4).
Advanced polarization control for optimizing ultrafast laser micro-processing 54

2.3 Diagnostic technique for verifying the phase stability of SLMs

under high-average-power laser exposure

2.3.1 Aim of the experiment

The aim of the research presented in this thesis is to control the polarization and phase of laser
beams to improve industrial micro-processes. In order to optimize efficiency, industrial processes often
use high-average-power beams. These high-average powers can be incompatible with some of the
delicate optics used in a research laboratory. Here, I will demonstrate that the optics I use for
polarization and phase control are sufficiently robust to be used at high-average-power in an industrial
environment. One of the key optics used in the experimental setups here is a phase-only liquid-crystal
SLM from Hamamatsu. This type of SLM has often been used with low-average-power beams in a
research environment, but its suitability for high-average-power (and hence industrial) use needs to be
confirmed. An SLM works by modulating the phase of a laser beam. In this section I will verify if
exposure to a high-average-power beam affects the phase modulation induced by an SLM. This is done
by programming an SLM to induce a phase grating which splits the beam into a zero- and a first-order
component. The resulting diffraction efficiency, which is defined as the power-ratio between first-order
beam and full reflected beam (i.e. first-order plus zero-order), is used to evaluate the stability of the
phase modulation. A fluctuation of diffraction efficiency as a result of a long exposure to a high-average-
power beam would imply that the phase modulation is affected by the exposure to the beam. Here, the
diffraction efficiency is measured while the SLM used in this experiment is exposed to a laser beam with
8W of average power for 4.5 hours.

2.3.2 Experimental setup

Figure 2.7 shows the optical setup used to check the phase stability of the SLM. A 532nm, 150ns pulse
laser beam set at 8W of average power output is incident on a reflective phase-only SLM from
Hamamatsu (model X10468-04). The SLM induces a diffractive phase grating which splits the reflected
beam into a zero-order beam and a first-order beam. After the SLM, an iris is used to discriminate the
first-order beam against the zero-order beam. When the iris aperture diameter is reduced, only the first-
order beam is transmitted, while the zero-order beam is blocked. When the iris aperture diameter is at
its fully open position, both the zero- and first-order beams are transmitted (i.e. the full beam power
reflected from the SLM). A power meter is placed after the iris to measure either the first-order or the
full reflected beam power, depending on the chosen aperture of the iris. A beam splitter is also inserted
in the beam path before the SLM to pick-off a fraction of the beam. Another power meter measures the
power from this beam pick-off. In this way, the stability of the output from the laser source can be
verified during the experiment. The readings from the three power measurements are plotted against
the duration of exposure in Figure 2.8-a. A slight increase in all three power readings is noted in the first
30 minutes. This is due to a 5% power increase in the output from the laser source, demonstrated by
the power measurements from the pick-off (not visible in Figure 2.8 due to the chosen scale). It is
therefore irrelevant to this experiment. A value for the diffraction efficiency is derived by dividing the
55 Innovative optical diagnostic techniques: verifying phase stability of SLMs and analyzing polarization

BMI laser (532nm)

Power
Beam splitter
meter
A diffractive phase
SLM grating splits the
First-order incident beam into a
Power zero- and a first-order
Zero-order
meter beam component
Iris

Figure 2.7: Schematic showing the experimental setup used to check the phase behavior of the SLM under
high-average-power laser exposure. The laser source is a 532nm, 12kHz repetition frequency, 150ns pulse
laser. For these tests, the average output power is set at 8W. The iris aperture diameter is reduced to
measure the first-order beam power, or fully open to measure the full reflected beam power.

a)

b)

Figure 2.8: (a) Power meter readings during laser exposure. (b) Diffraction efficiency derived from the
power measurements.
Advanced polarization control for optimizing ultrafast laser micro-processing 56

power value for the first-order beam by that of the full reflected beam. The diffraction efficiency is
plotted in Figure 2.8-b.

2.3.3 Results and discussion

It can be seen from Figure 2.8-b that the diffraction efficiency is relatively stable (within +/-3.5%) over
the duration of the exposure (4.5 hours). If the phase response of the SLM was affected by a continuous
high-average-power laser beam exposure at the 8W level, the diffraction efficiency would be expected
to change significantly. As the diffraction efficiency remains reasonably constant for the duration of the
experiment, we can conclude that the phase response of the SLM is unaffected under these
experimental conditions.
Here, I have demonstrated that the SLMs used in this research are compatible with an average beam
power of 8W, which is representative of the average-power used in some industrial applications. In the
rest of this thesis, the experiments that use SLMs will involve lower average beam powers. However the
experimental results above give confidence that the SLM-based optical setups introduced in this thesis
are potentially transferable to industrial applications.
In the rest of this thesis, several experiments use SLMs exposed to high-peak-power ultrashort-pulse
laser beams (with a low average-power P<3W). The phase modulation induced by the SLMs has
remained constant throughout and no optical damage has been noticed on the active liquid-crystal
layers of the SLMs. As for high-average-power beams, there is no evidence to suggest that high-peak-
power beams affect the phase response of the SLMs in these experiments. It is noted that Hamamatsu
has tested its SLMs to peak power densities above 10GW/cm² without producing any damage to the
liquid-crystal layers.

2.4 Chapter summary

The conclusions of this chapter will be discussed in Chapter 7, but as an aide-mémoire, they are
outlined briefly here.

 I have detailed two original optical diagnostic techniques which are relevant throughout this thesis.
These techniques enable me to characterize some of the polarization and phase properties of the
new optical setups designed as part of my research.

 A polarization mapping technique enables one to analyze polarization by imprinting LIPSS on a

sample placed in the focal region of a low NA lens. This technique can be used to visualize the state
of polarization of CVBs around the focal region. It can also be used to calibrate a laser processing
bench where dynamic polarization control is used to vary the direction of polarization along the
beam scanning path.

 A phase analysis technique involves high-power testing of the SLMs used in my research to
confirm their ability to sustain high-average beam powers without influencing their phase
modulation properties. In this way I have demonstrated that the SLMs, which are a key element used
in several setups in this thesis, are suitable for high-average-power industrial applications.
57 Innovative optical diagnostic techniques: verifying phase stability of SLMs and analyzing polarization
Advanced polarization control for optimizing ultrafast laser micro-processing 58

3
Real-time control of polarization

3.1 Introduction
The key parameters influencing the quality and efficiency of a laser process are the fluence, pulse
duration, wavelength, beam quality and polarization (P. S. Banks et al. 1999, S. Hahne et al. 2007). The
influence of polarization on micro-machining has been demonstrated experimentally in S. Nolte et al.
1999, showing that drilling high-aspect-ratio (depth/diameter) microscopic holes in metal with linearly
polarized ultra-short-pulse lasers produces anisotropic profiles. This is due to the higher reflectivity of
the s-polarized radiation, relative to the p-polarized radiation (S. Nolte et al. 1999). As the hole develops
through the material, the p-polarized radiation is more readily absorbed by the sidewalls, whereas the s-
polarized radiation tends to be reflected down to the base of the hole. This results in a distorted
intensity profile, affecting the shape of the hole when the beam reaches the exit side. The simplest way
to reduce these distortions is to use a circularly polarized beam, which removes the differential in
reflectivity during drilling. In some cases however, the remaining distortions associated with circular
polarization are problematic. In particular, ripple formation on the surface of the side wall cannot be
avoided (C. Föhl & F. Dausinger, 2003). Another aspect of importance for micro-machining is the laser
process efficiency. The influence of polarization on this has been studied for example in V. G. Niziev & A.
V. Nesterov, 1999 and in F. Dausinger & J. Shen, 1993. When drilling or cutting high-aspect-ratio
microscopic features, neither circular nor static linear polarization offers the optimum process
efficiency.
To overcome these limitations, a technique referred to as polarization trepanning was developed (S.
Nolte et al. 1999). It consists of rotating linear polarization during drilling, further improving the hole
quality (see for example H. K. Tönshoff et al. 2000). The trepanning optic developed in C. Föhl et al. 2003
produced holes of remarkable quality using this technique. However, these methods involve mechanical
rotation of optical components and could be adversely affected by vibrations and prone to mechanical
failure, leading to potentially expensive maintenance. An alternative laser-specific polarization switching
method is detailed in S. Hahne et al. 2007. It is based on an intra-cavity polarization chopper wheel
synchronised to the laser pulse train. However, as this method requires the laser cavity to be re-
designed, it cannot be easily applied to existing laser systems.
In this chapter, I introduce a flexible method for rapidly switching the linear polarization of a laser
beam between two orthogonal directions during micro-processing, using a fast-response liquid-crystal
polarization rotator. This novel method provides an alternative to those mentioned above, resolving the
issues related to linear polarization (poor process quality), circular polarization (ripple formation and
poor process efficiency) and the traditional method of polarization trepanning (reliance on mechanical
rotation stages). As a proof of principle, helical drilling and cutting tests were performed on stainless
steel sheets using various polarization configurations. Experimental results using a femtosecond laser
59 Real-time control of polarization

show a consistent improvement in the micro-processing quality compared to that produced by linear
polarization configurations.

3.2 Experimental setup

A schematic of the experimental setup is shown in Figure 3.1. The output from a femtosecond laser
(Clark-MXR CPA2010, with a minimum pulse width of 160fs, 775nm central wavelength, spectral
bandwidth of 5nm, 1mJ maximum pulse energy, 1kHz repetition rate and horizontal linear polarization)
is attenuated by a halfwave-plate and a Glan laser polarizer. The resulting linear polarized beam is
incident on a transmissive, ferroelectric liquid-crystal polarization rotator developed by Boulder
Nonlinear Systems, Inc. (MS Series). The liquid-crystal polarization rotator offers a switching frequency
of up to 20kHz between two orthogonal output states, with a response time of typically less than 100µs.
Varying the electric field applied to the device results in a non-linear rotation of the output polarization.
The liquid-crystal device can be operated in a binary mode, where the polarization is periodically flipped
between orthogonal directions, or operated in a quasi-linear mode. The polarization rotator is driven by
a programmable, DC-balanced, periodic voltage signal from a function generator (Tektronix AFG3021B).
After reflection on Mirrors 3 and 4 (see Figure 3.1), the beam enters the 10mm aperture of a scanning
galvo system (GSI Lumonics) with a flat field lens (f = 100mm), driven by a programmable PC interface
board (Scanlab). Samples are mounted on a precision 4-axis (x, y, z, θ) motion control system (Aerotech
Npaq) allowing accurate positioning of the sample at the laser focus.

Autocorrelator Clark-MXR
CPA-2010
PO
Mirror 1 775nm
~1%
Scanning 160fs
Galvo Mirror 4
Fast shutter
Tektronix Main Shutter
Function λ/2 Plate
Generator
Flat Field Polarizer
Lens Photodiode
PO: Pick off

Polarization control
4 Axis Stage Mirror 3 Mirror 2 components
Glan Laser
Screen BNS Liquid-Crystal Polarization Rotator
Polarizer
Polarization Rotator dynamic test components

Figure 3.1: Micro-machining experimental setup showing how the liquid-crystal polarization rotator was
used. For the processing tests, the dashed components were removed.
Advanced polarization control for optimizing ultrafast laser micro-processing 60

3.3 Proof of concept

This section describes how some of the optical characteristics of the polarization rotator were tested.

3.3.1 Testing response time

The response time of the liquid-crystal device was tested by placing a Glan laser polarizer behind it.
Thus, a rotation in polarization direction was translated into a modulation of the amplitude transmitted
through the polarizer. The resulting beam amplitude was measured with a photodiode (see dashed
components in Figure 3.1). In order to obtain a clearer signal from the photodiode, the polarization
rotator driving signal was synchronised with the 1kHz femtosecond laser pulse train. This was achieved
by triggering the function generator with a synchronised TTL signal from the femtosecond laser’s Pockels
cell driver (DT-505). A DC-balanced, 4V peak-to-peak square-wave signal was programmed on the
function generator, triggered by this synchronised signal. Oscilloscope traces from the photodiode and
the driving signal of the liquid-crystal device are shown in Figure 3.2. When the driving voltage is positive
(+2V), the resulting polarization is parallel to the transmission axis of the Glan laser polarizer. The
transmitted laser pulse train measured by the photodiode shows a residual amplitude shift due to the
inertia of the liquid-crystal device. When the driving voltage is negative (-2V), the laser pulse train is
blocked by the polarizer. The response time of the polarization rotator was found to be less than 0.5ms
(manufacturing specification: 0.1ms). In the Clark laser system, the period between each femtosecond
pulse is ~1ms (1kHz repetition rate). The response time of the liquid-crystal device is therefore sufficient
to provide accurate control over the polarization direction of each individual pulse. When a polarising
filter is placed behind the liquid-crystal rotator, this pulse-train-synchronised mode enables dynamic
pulse-to-pulse amplitude control, with potential applications in surface machining of periodic structures.

Figure 3.2: Oscilloscope traces showing the amplitude of the femtosecond pulse train (output signal from
the photodiode in red on top) modulated by a polarization rotator with a Glan laser polarizer behind it
(driving signal in blue at the bottom).
61 Real-time control of polarization

3.3.2 Polarization diagnostic

In this section, I demonstrate that polarization trepanning is achievable with the liquid-crystal device.
Polarization trepanning requires synchronising the polarization rotation with the beam scanning motion
so that the direction of polarization is constantly perpendicular to the direction of scanning (C. Föhl & F.
Dausinger, 2003). This is normally achieved by placing a wave-plate in the optical path and mechanically
rotating it with the beam. In order to obtain a similar effect, the driving signal from the function
generator was synchronised with the galvo scanning head (see Figure 3.1). The test procedure described
in Chapter 2 was used to visualise the direction of polarization along the scanned beam paths, using the
setup shown in Figure 3.1 (without the dashed components). These tests make use of LIPSS, which
provide a marker for the direction of polarization of the incoming laser beam (see Section 2.2.4 in
Chapter 2).
Due to its design characteristics, the response time of the liquid-crystal device is shorter when the
polarization is flipped between two perpendicular directions and longer when it is gradually rotated. The
former case applies a DC-balanced square-wave driving signal, the latter applies a sinusoidal one. In the
tests described here, a square-wave signal was used to obtain the best polarization switching speeds.
Synchronisation routines were programmed into the PC interface board driving the galvo head to
maintain the desired polarization state while scanning along pre-defined geometries on a steel sample
surface (Figure 3.3-a). The scanning programmes were run with the laser pulse energy attenuated to 2µJ
and the sample was exposed to the laser beam for a few seconds. As a result, LIPSS were produced and
then imaged with an optical microscope (Figure 3.3-b).
As detailed in Chapter 2 (Section 2.2.4), the microscopic investigation of the resulting figures used
low-angle illumination to distinguish between the two directions of laser polarization that produced the
LIPSS. Two illumination sources were used, located on each side of the sample, with the axis of
illumination set parallel to one of the polarization directions and perpendicular to the other. Due to the
diffractive properties of the LIPSS, only the direction of polarization parallel to the direction of
illumination reflected the low-angle light (see Figure 3.3-c), the other remained dark. Therefore, each
microscope image shows the part of the scanned geometry that reflected the illumination. Rotating the
axis of illumination by 90˚ reveals the remainder of the scanned geometry (Figure 3.3-d). These tests
demonstrated that the desired direction of polarization had been successfully applied to each region,
giving confidence that a good approximation of polarization trepanning is achievable using a liquid-
crystal polarization rotator.
Advanced polarization control for optimizing ultrafast laser micro-processing 62

Direction of scanning
a) Direction of polarization
Direction of illumination

b)

5µm

c) d)

200µm

Figure 3.3: (a) Programmed laser beam path showing the expected state of polarization for each region. (b)
LIPSS formation on the surface of the work-piece. The direction of polarization is indicated by the white
arrows. (c) Optical micrograph of the scanned beam path after laser exposure, under low-angle
illumination. (d) The same region after the illumination was rotated by 90˚, revealing the remainder of the
scanned geometry.

3.4 Helical drilling

In helical drilling, the laser beam moves in a periodic fashion following a pre-defined geometry. As
material is removed by each pulse, the beam works its way through the sample, as shown in Figure 3.4.
If the chosen beam scanning motion is circular, the ablation front follows a helical path overall. The
parameters influencing the geometry of the machined hole include the dimensions of the programmed
beam path, the laser spot size and the polarization (C. Föhl & F. Dausinger, 2003).
To check the benefits of using a liquid-crystal polarization rotation device in helical drilling, tests were
performed on 380µm thick, type 302 (austenitic chromium-nickel alloy) stainless steel samples in air,
using circular and square beam paths. Prior to the tests, the sample surfaces were polished to a 320
grade abrasive grit.

3.4.1 Circular beam path

Circular beam paths with diameters of 65µm and a 5mm/s scan speed were programmed into the PC
interface board driving the scanning galvanometer. A laser pulse energy of 75µJ was used,
corresponding to a peak fluence of ~24J/cm², much higher than the ablation threshold which is around
0.16J/cm² for stainless steel (P. Mannion et al. 2003). This fluence value was appropriate since it
produced a high ablation efficiency and low thermal damages. The focal spot diameter (calculated
where the intensity has fallen to 1/e2 of its central peak value) is 30µm and the focal depth is ±300 µm.
The sample was placed on a holder on the multi-axis motion control stage (see Figure 3.1), so that the
focal plane lied ~100µm below the sample top surface. The chosen drilling time per hole was 150s. The
63 Real-time control of polarization

a) b) c) d)

Figure 3.4: (a) Schematic showing a helical drilling process, where the laser beam scans with a circular
motion. (b) Initially, the laser ablation occurs with a nearly normal beam incidence. (c) As the ablation front
penetrates deeper, internal reflections occur at increasingly large incidence angles. (d) Once the hole is fully
developed, multiple internal reflections occur with a high incidence angle. The state of beam polarization,
which strongly influences reflectivity at high incidence angles (see Figure 1.15 in Chapter 1), affects the
efficiency and quality of the process.

100µm

Figure 3.5: Optical micrograph of the hole entrance. The shape of the hole does not depend on polarization.

Direction of scanning
Direction of polarization

Figure 3.6: Laser scanning path with corresponding direction of polarization used in polarization trepanning.
Advanced polarization control for optimizing ultrafast laser micro-processing 64

test strategy consisted of using the various polarization modes available with the liquid-crystal
polarization rotator, varying the operating parameters to improve circularity and reduce the taper of the
micro-holes. Linear and circular polarized beams were used to provide comparative data for subsequent
tests. The experimental configuration of the setup for each test is summarised in Table 3.1. It is noted
that each drilling test was performed a number of times and the figures in Table 3.1 were obtained by
averaging the results from all the tests.
All these tests produced tapered holes with an entrance opening diameter of typically 110±10µm. The
entrances of the holes showed no dependence on polarization, but were slightly elliptical in shape due
to the slight astigmatism of the incident laser beam profile (Figure 3.5). On the exit side, the shape and
taper of the holes varied with polarization, with a typical half-angle sidewall taper ranging between 4˚
and 5˚ and a diameter of typically 65±10µm. A summary of the test results as well as optical micrographs
of the exit holes for the various polarization modes are given in Table 3.1.

3.4.1.1 Linear and circular polarizations

Drilling with a linearly polarized laser beam produces elliptical exit holes, elongated in the direction of
the polarization vector (see Table 3.1). As the laser beam reflects against the internal sidewalls during
drilling, the light is p-polarized in the regions where the sidewalls are perpendicular to the polarization
vector (i.e. where the plane of incidence is parallel to the polarization vector) and s-polarized in the
regions where the sidewalls are parallel to it (i.e. where the plane of incidence is perpendicular to the
polarization vector). The laser energy is more readily absorbed in the regions with p-polarization,
producing more ablation which results in an elliptical profile with a long axis parallel to the polarization
vector. s-polarization tends to be reflected down to the base of the hole. As the sidewalls are not
optically flat, these internal reflections sometimes produce distortions around the exit hole,
perpendicular to the polarization vector as can be seen on the hole drilled with a linearly polarized beam
in Table 3.1. As expected, circular polarization produced a clear, circular hole exit due to the isotropic
coupling of the beam energy to the material in this case.

3.4.1.2 Scanner-synchronised polarization switching

In polarization trepanning, the direction of linear polarization rotates synchronously with the beam
around the hole so that it is always oriented in the same way with regard to the wall (C. Föhl & F.
Dausinger, 2003). To obtain a similar effect, the galvo scanner was synchronised with the liquid-crystal
polarization rotator, driven with a 4V peak-to-peak square-wave. This test produced an approximation
of polarization trepanning by maintaining the direction of polarization as close as possible to a p-
polarization during helical drilling (see Figure 3.6). The experimental results obtained are described in
Table 3.1. It can be seen that the exit apertures of the holes drilled using this method have an increased
surface area (~10%) compared to circular polarization, demonstrating an improved coupling of the laser
energy to the stainless steel and an increase in the machining efficiency. However, the quality is limited
by only having two directions of polarization; it is more promising for drilling geometrical shapes with
straight edges, such as those shown in Table 3.2.

3.4.1.3 Un-synchronised polarization switching

In these tests, the square-wave signal driving the polarization rotator was not synchronised with the
beam motion. During helical drilling, the laser beam rotates about the central axis of the hole. When the
65 Real-time control of polarization

polarization rotator is not synchronised with the scanner system, a given location in the circular beam
path will see the polarization direction vary over time. The resulting reflectivity of the laser beam at this
location will vary accordingly. This is known to lead to an averaging effect which tends to reduce the
distortions in the exit hole (S. Nolte et al. 1999). As expected, our un-synchronised helical drilling tests
showed reduced distortions compared to the other polarization modes (see Table 3.1). It is noted that
the slight increase in ellipticity is due to the rotation span of the liquid-crystal device, which is limited to
90˚.

3.4.1.4 Polarization modulated geometry

In the drilling tests described so far in Section 3.4.1, real-time polarization control was used to
improve the circularity of the exit holes. However, some applications require drilling non-circular holes
(C. Föhl & F. Dausinger, 2003). Consequently, I investigated whether polarization control could be used
for drilling pre-defined non-circular holes, using the same circular beam path as in the previous tests.
Instead of using a square-wave signal as before, I used a sinusoidal one to drive the polarization rotator.
This results in a gradual rotation of polarization between orthogonal directions, instead of binary
switching as is the case when a square-wave signal is used. The same synchronisation setup as in
polarization trepanning was used and the other laser drilling parameters were similar. These tests
produced a repeatable exit hole geometry. This geometry (see Table 3.1) did not result from the
(circular) beam scanning path but from the modulation of polarization. This technique could provide
more flexibility in micro-drilling non-circular holes.
Advanced polarization control for optimizing ultrafast laser micro-processing 66

Table 3.1: Description and results of helical drilling tests on a 380µm-thick stainless steel plate, including a
comparison of the exit holes surface area and ellipticity (775nm, 160fs pulses, 1kHz repetition rate, pulse
energy: 75µJ). The figures for the axial ratio and surface area were obtained by averaging the results from
ten drilling tests for each polarization state.

Scanner-
Un-synchronised Polarization-
Linear Circular synchronised
polarization modulated
polarization polarization polarization
switching geometry
switching
Polarization Polarization
Polarization Polarization Polarization
rotator driven rotator driven
rotator removed. rotator removed. rotator driven
with a 10Hz with a 10Hz sine
Configuration The linear A quarterwave- with an un-
square wave wave
of the setup polarized laser plate is used to synchronised
synchronised synchronised
beam is used to produce circular 10Hz square
with the galvo with the galvo
drill the sample. polarization. wave.
scanner. scanner.
Optical
micrographs
of the holes
exit aperture
(arrows 50µm 50µm 50µm 50µm 50µm
indicate the
direction of
polarization)
Axial ratio of 35±5% 10±5% 15±5% 16±5% N/A
elliptical hole
exit aperture
Surface area 3000±300µm² 3400±300µm² 3700±300µm² 3400±300µm² 3300±300µm²
67 Real-time control of polarization

3.4.2 Square beam path

The limitation on the available rotation span (90˚ with this device) means that the quality of straight
orthogonal edged geometries is likely to be most improved. To confirm this prediction, I drilled and
analyzed square holes. The liquid-crystal device was configured in scanner-synchronised polarization
switching mode (using a 10V peak-to-peak square-wave driving signal) so that polarization trepanning
could be achieved. Both p- and s-polarizations were tested i.e. the polarization direction during drilling
was always maintained at p- or s- respectively. Prior to drilling, a synchronisation program was
developed and tested by producing LIPSS on a sample, using the polarization diagnostic procedure
described earlier.
The programmed square beam paths had a side length of 130µm and 2mm/s scan speed. For the
drilling tests, a laser pulse energy of 75µJ was used (F~24J/cm²). This produced square holes with an
entrance side length of ~200µm and an exit side length of ~120µm, corresponding to a ~6˚ half-angle
sidewall taper. The entrance of the square holes showed no dependence on polarization (Figure 3.7).
The distortions in the corners at the entrance were due to the limited resolution of the scanning galvo.
The exit holes obtained are shown in Table 3.2. It is noted that s-polarization produces the worst
machining quality, with distorted exit holes. This is due to the relatively poor coupling of the laser beam
energy to the sidewalls. A larger share of the beam energy is reflected away through the exit aperture of
the hole compared with p-polarization, where the coupling to the sidewalls is better. As the p-
polarization achieved similar drilling quality as circular polarization, these results suggest that this
polarization trepanning technique could be a viable alternative to static linear or circular polarization.

100µm

Figure 3.7: Optical micrograph of the hole entrance. The shape of the hole does not depend on polarization.
Advanced polarization control for optimizing ultrafast laser micro-processing 68

Table 3.2: Description and results of square-shaped helical drilling tests on a 380µm-thick stainless steel
plate (775nm, 160fs pulses, 1kHz repetition rate, pulse energy: 75µJ).

Linear polarization Circular polarization p-polarization s-polarization

Polarization rotator Polarization rotator Polarization rotator
Polarization rotator removed. A driven with an 8Hz driven with an 8Hz
removed. The linear quarterwave-plate is square wave square wave
Configuration
polarized laser beam inserted into the synchronised with synchronised with
of the setup
is used to drill the beam path to the galvo scanner, the galvo scanner,
sample. produce circular using the p- using the s-
polarization. polarization mode. polarization mode.
Optical
micrographs of
the holes exit
aperture
(arrows
indicate the 100µm 100µm 100µm 100µm
direction of
polarization)
69 Real-time control of polarization

3.5 Micro-cutting
In the helical drilling tests described above, the chosen dimension for the holes was such that the
resulting figure dimensions were not significantly larger than the laser spot size (~120µm and ~30µm
respectively in Section 3.4.2). The relatively small hole dimension to spot size ratio (~4 here) means that
all the material within the scanned figure is ablated. As a result, there is a continuous ablation front
across the hole and this ablation front is wider than the laser spot itself. As material is removed by each
laser pulse, the ablation front penetrates deeper inside the thickness of the material while maintaining
an entrance opening that is wider than the spot size. This is essential in maintaining a high processing
efficiency while drilling high-aspect-ratio holes, as it enables effective channelling of laser energy inside
the hole by avoiding excessive reflections on the walls. It also facilitates ejection of the ablated material
outside of the hole.
In the case of micro-cutting, where the scanned figure is much larger than the laser spot size, only the
material along the beam path is ablated. This means that high-aspect-ratio grooves are produced (see
Table 3.3). As the ablation front is of a similar size to the laser spot, micro-cutting can suffer from poor
process efficiency: multiple reflections on the groove walls lead to poor channelling of laser energy to
the bottom of the groove. As the laser beam’s polarization can have a strong effect on these internal
reflections, I investigated whether polarization control is beneficial in improving laser micro-cutting
efficiency and quality. The tests described below were performed on 380µm thick stainless steel
samples.

3.5.1 Cross-shaped beam path

A cross-shaped geometry was used, which is equivalent to cutting two orthogonal linear slots. As in
the square drilling tests described earlier, the liquid-crystal device was configured in scanner-
synchronised polarization switching mode, using a 10V peak-to-peak square-wave driving signal to
achieve polarization trepanning. As before, both p- and s-polarization modes were used as well as a
static linear polarization for comparison purposes. A synchronisation program was developed and tested
at low pulse energies (2µJ) to produce LIPSS on the sample (see Figure 3.3).
The micro-cutting tests used pulse energies of 75µJ (F~24J/cm²). The length of each slot was 450µm
and the scan speed was 2mm/s. The entrance and exit sides of the resulting incisions can be seen in
Figure 3.8 and Table 3.3 respectively. Static linear polarization produced varying degrees of anisotropic
machining features. Visual inspection showed the regions of the beam path with p-polarized internal
reflections were of much better quality (i.e. less distorted and with straighter edges) than the s-
polarized regions. The synchronisation program, which ensured that p-polarization is used on both arms
of the cross, improved both the straightness and the accuracy of the machined slots by minimising
internal reflections and maintaining an optimum coupling of the laser beam energy to the sidewalls. It is
noted that the bulge-shaped distortions at the end of each arm (see optical micrographs in Table 3.3)
were not caused by polarization, but rather resulted from the beam path geometry and the deceleration
at the ends due to the inertia of the galvo mirrors (see Figure 3.3 for beam path).
Advanced polarization control for optimizing ultrafast laser micro-processing 70

200µm
Figure 3.8: Optical micrograph of the entrance side of the cross-shaped incisions. Polarization does not
affect the shape of the entrance side.

Table 3.3: Description and results of cross-shaped cutting tests on a 380µm-thick stainless steel plate
(775nm, 160fs pulses, 1kHz repetition rate, pulse energy: 75µJ).

Linear polarization p-polarization s-polarization

The polarization
Polarization The polarization The polarization
direction (yellow arrow)
configuration direction was direction was
is p- for the horizontal
during maintained at p- (see maintained at s- (see
branch and s- for the
machining yellow arrows). yellow arrows).
vertical one.
Optical
micrographs
of the holes
exit aperture
(arrows
indicate the
direction of 200µm 200µm 200µm
polarization)
71 Real-time control of polarization

3.5.2 Square beam path

To further investigate the gains in cutting efficiency and quality, square holes were produced by
cutting micro-grooves through the stainless steel plates and removing the remaining square cut-out in
the centre after laser exposure.

3.5.2.1 Experimental procedure

As in the previous tests, the laser pulse energy was set at 75µJ (F~24J/cm²). The side length of the
scanned figures was 650µm and the scan speed was 2mm/s. The same polarization trepanning
technique was used as before. Both p- and s-polarization modes were tested as well as circular
polarization for comparison purposes. The chosen processing time per hole was 540s. After laser
processing, the samples were placed in an ultrasonic bath for three minutes, so that the pressure waves
would remove the central squares if the cutting process had been successful. The exit side of the
resulting holes are shown in Table 3.4.

3.5.2.2 Results
The cutting process was successful with both circular and p-polarization, where the central cut-outs
were removed by the ultrasonic waves. The optical micrographs in Table 3.4 show the exit holes after
the central square cut-outs have been removed. s-polarization failed to cut out the central square,
demonstrating a poorer process efficiency in that case. The optical micrographs in Table 3.4 show the
exit grooves produced with s-polarization, with the central cut-out still in place. When the test was
repeated with a 10% shorter processing time, only the p-polarization successfully cut out the central
square, suggesting this polarization mode provides a further improvement in cutting efficiency
compared with circular polarization under these experimental conditions. Of these two configurations,
microscopic investigation revealed that the surface quality of the sidewalls was better with p-
polarization (Figure 3.9), whereas circular polarization produced ripples and distortions on the sidewalls
of the hole (Figure 3.10). Figures 3.9-b and 3.10-b show the amplitude of these ripples on selected
regions of the sidewalls for p- and circular polarization respectively, measured with an optical surface
profiling system (WYKO NT1100). The average peak-to-peak amplitude between the valleys (in dark
blue) and the peaks (in light red) was found to be 2.5±1µm for p- and 5±1µm for circular polarization.

3.5.2.3 Discussion
The better process efficiency and quality obtained with p-polarization can be explained by the
increased coupling of the laser beam energy to the sidewalls during the machining of the micro-
channels, compared with circular or s-polarization. For a typical high-aspect-ratio channel geometry, the
angle of incidence on the walls is around 80˚. The corresponding value for the reflectivity of steel is
around 47% for p-polarization and 94% for s-polarization (S. Nolte et al. 1999). Therefore, the intensity
of the light reflected from the walls is approximately twice as much with s-polarization compared with p-
polarization. This results in a higher loss of energy through the exit of the channels machined with s-
polarization. The extra reflections on the non-optically flat walls inside the channels also induce a non
uniform energy distribution resulting in distorted exit channels produced with s-polarization. In the case
of circular polarization, the p- and s-polarizations are averaged over time. This produces an average
value for reflectivity which results in an intermediate quality and efficiency for micro-machining.
Advanced polarization control for optimizing ultrafast laser micro-processing 72

Table 3.4: Description and results of square-shaped cutting tests on a 380µm-thick stainless steel plate
(775nm, 160fs pulses, 1kHz repetition rate, pulse energy: 75µJ).

Circular polarization p-polarization s-polarization

Polarization A quarterwave-plate is
configuration inserted into the beam The polarization direction The polarization direction
during path to produce circular was maintained at p-. was maintained at s-.
machining polarization.

300µm 300µm
300µm

Optical
micrographs
of the holes
exit aperture

The central cut-out was The central cut-out was The central cut-out could
successfully removed after successfully removed after not be removed after a
Description a 540s laser exposure. a 540s laser exposure. 540s laser exposure.
of the results Significant distortions are Minor distortions are Significant distortions are
present on the exit side of present on the exit side of visible along the exit
the cut-out. the cut-out. channels.
73 Real-time control of polarization

b)
a)

300µm

Figure 3.9: (a) Optical micrograph of a square cut-out with p-polarization after removal by ultrasonic waves
(see Table 3.4). The sidewall of the cut-out is shown here, with magnified area (yellow square).
(b) Magnified area observed with an optical surface profiling system, showing vertical periodic ripples on
the sidewall. The dark blue regions are the valleys and the light orange regions are the peaks. The colour-
coded scale shows the distance from an average mid-plane, in µm. The measured average peak-to-peak
amplitude of the ripples was 2.5±1µm.

b)
a)

300µm

Figure 3.10: (a) Optical micrograph of a square cut-out with circular polarization after removal by ultrasonic
waves (see Table 3.4). The sidewall of the cut-out is shown here, with magnified area (yellow square).
(b) Magnified area observed with an optical surface profiling system, showing vertical periodic ripples on
the sidewall. The dark blue regions are the valleys and the light orange regions are the peaks. The colour-
coded scale shows the distance from an average mid-plane, in µm. The measured average peak-to-peak
amplitude of the ripples was 5±1µm.
Advanced polarization control for optimizing ultrafast laser micro-processing 74

3.6 Chapter summary

The chief points of this chapter are summarized below. A more comprehensive discussion of these
results is outlined in Chapter 7.

 A method for dynamically switching the polarization direction of a femtosecond laser beam with a
fast-response, transmissive, ferroelectric liquid-crystal device was presented.

 Helical drilling and cutting of high-aspect-ratio microscopic structures in a steel plate were carried
out using various polarization modes, such as linear, circular, p- or s-polarization. Various machining
geometries were tested, i.e. circular, square and cross-shaped beam paths. Microscopic investigation
of the resulting features revealed that polarization trepanning with the liquid-crystal device offers
better levels of machining quality than circular or static linear polarizations.

 Due to its design characteristics, the liquid-crystal device used in this research had an angular
rotation range limited to 90˚ and required a DC-balanced, 50% duty-cycle periodic driving voltage. As
a result, the tests were restricted to machining axi-symmetric features.
75 Real-time control of polarization
Advanced polarization control for optimizing ultrafast laser micro-processing 76

4
Spatial control of polarization: producing
Cylindrical Vector Beams

4.1 Introduction
In Chapter 3, I have shown how uniform states of polarization (i.e. linear or circular) affect the laser-
material energy coupling and influence the quality/efficiency of laser micro-processing. I used a liquid-
crystal device to control these effects dynamically and improve the process. In the rest of this thesis, I
am interested in exploring the use of CVBs (such as radial or azimuthal polarizations) for industrial
ultrafast-laser micro-processing. Due to the limited average beam power available on the ultrafast-laser
processing benches used in this thesis, the experiments had to be carried out using low average powers
(<0.5W). However the results are still transferable to high-average-power, industrial applications as
demonstrated in Chapter 2.
The potential benefits of using radially or azimuthally polarized laser beams for various applications
have been studied theoretically for several years (see for example V. G. Niziev & A. V. Nesterov, 1999,
M. Stalder & M. Schadt, 1996 and I. Iglesias & B. Vohnsen, 2007). This led to predictions that the use of a
radially polarized beam could enhance the efficiency of cutting processes by more than 50% compared
to circular polarization (V. G. Niziev & A. V. Nesterov, 1999). However, producing radially or azimuthally
polarized beams has been difficult until recently, making it complicated to verify these claims
experimentally (M. Stalder & M. Schadt, 1996 and I. Iglesias & B. Vohnsen, 2007). In the last few years, a
range of methods has been developed to produce these modes of polarization. Recent experimental
work using these methods confirmed the benefits of processing with a radial or azimuthal polarization
(for example K. Venkatakrishnan & B. Tan, 2006 or M. Meier et al. 2007). The most recent work in this
area is concurrent to the research presented in this thesis (M. Kraus et al. 2010, R. Weber et al. 2011, C.
Hnatovsky et al. 2011). However, the methods used in these publications either required a cumbersome
re-design of the laser cavity, or used static extra-cavity polarization converters which can lack flexibility.
Thanks to the latest technological developments in dynamic programmable liquid-crystal devices such as
SLMs, it is now possible to produce such polarization modes in a more flexible and cost effective
manner. Although this approach has been used for high-resolution microscopy applications (E. Y. S. Yew
& C. J. R. Sheppard, 2007; M. R. Beversluis et al. 2006; K. Yoshiki et al. 2005), until recently SLMs were
unable to sustain the high average power required for laser machining applications.
In this thesis I demonstrate for the first time that modern SLMs, capable of sustaining a high average
power as detailed in Chapter 2, are well suited for producing radially or azimuthally polarized beams in a
micro-machining bench. I use a simple optical setup designed as part of this research project. In this
chapter, I aim to show how CVBs produced in this way influence the properties of the laser focal region.
77 Spatial control of polarization: producing Cylindrical Vector Beams

In Chapter 6, I will show how they are used to improve the quality and efficiency of industrial laser
micro-processes.
This chapter is split into two sections. In the first section, I introduce an optical setup that uses a
liquid-crystal SLM to generate a CVB. A Jones Matrix analysis of the setup is used to predict the ability to
produce CVBs in this way. The setup is implemented in a laser test bench and the resulting polarization
analyzed with a polarizing filter. In the second section, the setup is implemented in an ultrafast laser
micro-processing bench. The amplitude and polarization properties in the focal region of the setup are
studied using LIPSS, as described in Chapter 2. This enables me to check if the expected state of
polarization is achieved in the focal region.

4.2 Principle and proof of concept for a Polarization Mode Converter

4.2.1 Polarization Mode Converter

Here, I introduce a simple optical setup design that comprises a reflective, phase-only, liquid-crystal
SLM and a quarter-waveplate to convert a linearly polarized laser beam into a CVB. These two
components are referred to as “Polarization Mode Converter” henceforth. The basic setup of the
Polarization Mode Converter is shown in Figure 4.1. The SLM is mounted so that the long axis of its
liquid-crystals lies in the horizontal plane. The quarter-waveplate is mounted with its fast axis tilted at
45˚. The angle between the SLM's incident and reflected beams is less than 20˚, so that the phase
response of the liquid-crystals is linear. The Polarization Mode Converter also requires the direction of
the incident linear polarization to be oriented at +45˚ with respect to the (horizontal) liquid-crystals axis
of the SLM. This can be achieved either with a half-waveplate or using a polarizing filter. In principle, this
setup design can be implemented on any laser micro-processing bench, hence its potential as a powerful
new tool.

4.2.2 Theoretical analysis of the Polarization Mode Converter using Jones matrices
In Chapter 1, phase-only, liquid-crystal SLMs were introduced. If the direction of the incident linear
polarization is set parallel to the liquid-crystals axis of the SLM, only the phase of the incident laser
beam is modulated, the polarization is unaffected (i.e. it remains linear). In this case, inducing a relative
phase delay between the pixels of the SLM shapes the wavefront of the laser beam. This approach is
used for example to produce dynamic holograms that shape the amplitude distribution at the focal
plane of a laser micro-processing bench (Z. Kuang et al. 2009a, D. Liu et al. 2010).
In the Polarization Mode Converter detailed here, the direction of the incident linear polarization is
set at 45˚ with respect to the (horizontal) liquid-crystals axis of the SLM. In this case, each pixel of the
SLM induces a relative phase delay between the horizontal and vertical components of the polarization.
To explain how the Polarization Mode Converter works, we look at a single pixel of the SLM, using
Jones vector formalism. We first define a reference coordinate system with horizontal ( ) and vertical
( ) axes, centered on the optical axis of the laser beam. The location of the pixel of interest in this
coordinate system is: ( ). As described above, the incident linearly polarized beam has its
polarization direction tilted at +45˚. In this analysis, this is described as a Jones vector with equal
Advanced polarization control for optimizing ultrafast laser micro-processing 78

amplitude horizontal and vertical components ( , see Figure 4.2). For our pixel of interest
the incident Jones vector is defined as: .
Each pixel on the SLM generates a horizontal phase delay at the corresponding location ( ).
Therefore after reflection on the SLM, the vertical component of the polarization vector is phase-shifted
by an amount relative to the horizontal component (M. R. Beversluis et al. 2006). For our pixel of
interest we express this vertical phase shift as . We can express the Jones matrix of our pixel as:
(4.1)
The resulting Jones vector after the SLM is noted . To obtain , we multiply the
matrix by the incident Jones vector defined above:
(4.2)
In general, this represents an elliptical polarization. However if , the polarization after the SLM is
linear, oriented at +45˚ (the derivation is in Appendix A): . If , the resulting

polarization is circular: .
To produce CVBs, a quarter-waveplate is required after the SLM. The quarter-waveplate needs to
have its fast axis oriented at -45˚ relative to the horizontal. The Jones matrix of a quarter-waveplate is:
(4.3)
It is noted that the Jones matrix is expressed in a reference coordinate system with one of its axes
parallel to the fast axis of the quarter-waveplate, which is oriented at -45˚ here. As a result, the
polarization vectors incident on this waveplate need to be converted so that they are expressed in this
tilted coordinate system (see Figure 4.2). This is done by multiplying them with the following rotation
matrix:
(4.4)
The Jones matrix representing the Polarization Mode Converter (i.e. the system comprising the SLM
and waveplate) is obtained by multiplying the three Jones matrices above (see for example M. R.
Beversluis et al. 2006, where an SLM-based optical system is analyzed using Jones matrices). At the
coordinate of our pixel of interest ( ), the resulting Jones matrix is:
(4.5)
It is noted that the rotation matrix changes the reference coordinate system. As a result, the vectors
before (i.e. on the right-hand side of) the second term are expressed in a coordinate system with
horizontal and vertical axes. The vectors after (i.e. on the left-hand side of) the second term are
expressed in a coordinate system with its axes tilted at 45˚(see Figure 4.2).
The resulting Jones vector after the Polarization Mode Converter, noted , is obtained by
multiplying the matrix by the incident Jones vector defined above:

(4.6)

The details of the derivation are in Appendix A. It is noted that the incident vector is expressed
in the reference coordinate system with horizontal and vertical axes, while the resulting vector
79 Spatial control of polarization: producing Cylindrical Vector Beams

is expressed in the reference coordinate system tilted at 45˚ (Figure 4.2). As shown in

Equation (4.6), includes three terms. The first term is a constant. This does not vary with

the pixel-induced phase delay so it is not relevant to this analysis. The second term represents a
residual phase delay which varies with the phase shift . The implications of this will be discussed later.

The third term represents a linear polarization with a direction rotated by an angle relative

to the incident polarization (i.e. an angle of relative to the vertical axis). For example, varying the
amplitude of phase shift between 0 and , rotates the polarization direction by an angle between 0
and .
In this example, was the phase shift induced by a chosen pixel at a location ( ) in the pixel
array of the SLM. As each pixel independently generates a phase shift at the corresponding location
( ), the Polarization Mode Converter enables a spatially dependant rotation of the polarization.
Of particular interest is the case where a vortex phase pattern is created on the pixel array of the SLM
by instigating a gradual change in the phase shift between adjacent pixels. For example if varies
from 0 to depending on the ( ) pixel coordinates, it can produce a pitch vortex phase overall. In

such case, we can infer from the third term in Equation (4.6), that the resulting polarization has

a cylindrical symmetry, i.e. it is a CVB. The second term in Equation (4.6) means that a residual
phase vortex is still present after the quarter-wave plate in such case (i.e. the beam has an orbital
angular momentum). The pitch (topological charge) of this residual phase vortex is half that of the
overall vortex phase induced by the SLM. For example if the SLM induces a pitch overall phase
vortex, the residual phase vortex after the quarter-waveplate has a pitch (i.e. a topological charge of
one). The implications of the residual phase vortex will be discussed in the following chapters.

4.2.3 Principle of the Polarization Mode Converter

Figure 4.1 shows the principle of the Polarization Mode Converter. Two configurations are described.
In Figure 4.1-a, a uniform polarization rotation configuration is shown, where the SLM induces a planar
phase shift of (i.e. all the liquid-crystal pixels of the SLM induce the same phase shift value ). After
transmission through the quarter-waveplate, the polarization of the beam is expected to be linear with
its direction rotated by an angle with regard to the direction of incident polarization.
In Figure 4.1-b, a spatially dependant polarization rotation configuration is shown. A vortex phase
pattern is created on the pixel array of the SLM as described in Section 4.2.2. The resulting polarization
is expected to have a cylindrical symmetry around the optical axis. In the example shown in Figure 4.1-b,
the resultant beam has a radial polarization and a vortex phase.
In the following sections, the Polarization Mode Converter will be demonstrated experimentally, using
each of these two configurations. It is noted that all the phase patterns used with the SLMs in this thesis
were produced using a software originally designed for the control of SLM-based optical tweezers at the
University of Glasgow (see for example A. Curran et al. 2012).
Advanced polarization control for optimizing ultrafast laser micro-processing 80

45˚
a)

SLM

waveplate
(-45˚)

45˚
b)

SLM

waveplate
(-45˚)

Figure 4.1: Schematics showing how the Polarization Mode Converter is used. A linearly polarized beam
with its polarization direction tilted at 45˚ is incident on the SLM. (a) When the SLM induces a planar phase
shift of , the resulting polarization is linear with its direction rotated by . (b) When the SLM induces a
4π vortex phase shift, the resulting polarization has a cylindrical symmetry. In this example, the resultant
polarization is radial.

Quarter-
waveplate

One SLM
pixel at

Figure 4.2: Schematic illustrating how the Jones vectors are used to analyze the Polarization Mode
Converter. , and are represented in red, green and purple respectively.
81 Spatial control of polarization: producing Cylindrical Vector Beams

4.2.4 Experiments producing a uniform rotation of polarization with the Polarization Mode
Converter

4.2.4.1 Aim
By using the Polarization Mode Converter in its uniform polarization rotation configuration, I aim to
confirm experimentally the theoretical results from the Jones vectors calculation outlined in Section
4.2.2. In other words, I aim to show that the Polarization Mode Converter effectively rotates the
polarization direction of a linearly polarized beam in a controllable manner.

4.2.4.2 Experimental setup

I used the experimental setup shown in Figure 4.3. A linearly polarized 532nm laser beam produced
by a nanosecond-pulse laser source from BMI, is incident on a liquid-crystal SLM (model X10468-04)
from Hamamatsu. The SLM consists of a 16x12mm, 800x600 pixel array of horizontally oriented liquid-
crystal phase retarders. Before the SLM, a zero-order half-waveplate (Newport) is used so that the
direction of incident polarization it is tilted at +45˚ with respect to the horizontal axis of the liquid-
crystals of the SLM. After the SLM, a zero-order quarter-waveplate (Newport) with its axis oriented at
-45˚, a polarizing filter and a power meter are inserted into the beam path. The SLM and quarter-
waveplate constitute the Polarization Mode Converter. The polarizing filter, with its transmission axis
oriented at -45˚ with regard to the horizontal, is used to analyze the polarization of the beam after the
Polarization Mode Converter. This means that, for example if the induced rotation of polarization is
zero, the resulting polarization will be oriented at +45˚ (i.e. parallel to the incident polarization) and no
power will be transmitted through the polarizing filter.

4.2.4.3 Experimental procedure

We set the SLM to induce a planar phase shift, where all the pixels induce the same phase shift value:
. As shown in Equation (4.6), the resulting beam is expected to be linearly polarized, but with
the direction of its polarization rotated by an angle of relative to that of the incident polarization. In
the experiments, the phase shift will be gradually increased. The resulting beam will be analyzed
with the polarization filter. The beam power transmitted through the polarizing filter will be measured
with the power meter.
It is noted that the SLM control software expresses phase shifts as a range of 256 discrete values,
referred to as “grey levels”. As part of this experiment, the correlation between the grey levels and the
induced phase shifts needs to be clarified. The scale factor between grey levels and phase radians
has to be determined. This requires finding out which grey level values induce , and radians phase
shifts.

4.2.4.4 Results
In the experiment, the grey level was given a set of values between 0 and 255. For each value, the
beam power was measured after the polarizing filter (Figure 4.3). The transmitted beam power plotted
against the grey level is shown in Figure 4.4. Two sets of measurements were taken to verify consistency
in the results. The two sets of measurements were consistent within the accuracy of the power
measurements (+/-5%). The measured beam power was at a minimum (i.e. most of the beam was
blocked by the polarizing filter) when the grey levels were at 25 or 225. It was at a maximum (i.e. most
Advanced polarization control for optimizing ultrafast laser micro-processing 82

of the beam was transmitted through the polarizing filter) when the grey level was at 125 (Figure 4.4). It
is noted that the minimum measured power is above zero watts. Also, the maximum measured power
was below the full beam power. In both cases, the discrepancy was within 5% of full beam power. This
could be due to residual distortions in the SLM phase modulation, which affect the polarization purity. It
is also possible that the actual minimum and maximum fall between the measurement points.

4.2.4.5 Discussion
These results are consistent with a polarization direction oriented at +45˚ (i.e. a rotation angle of
zero or radians) when the grey level is 25 or 225, and a polarization direction oriented at -45˚ (i.e.
a rotation angle of radians) when the grey level is 125. These results are also consistent with a
polarization direction rotating by an angle of radians as the grey level increases by 200 (see model in
Figure 4.4). Table 4.1 summarizes the polarization rotation angle for each value of grey level. It is
estimated that the angles are accurate within 5%, due to the accuracy of the power measurements.
From the rotation angle, the SLM-induced phase shift can be derived. As inferred from Equation
(4.6), the amplitude of phase shift is twice the angle of rotation. Therefore if a grey level of 25
produces a rotation angle of 0, is also 0. If a grey level of 125 produces a rotation angle of
radians, the phase shift is . A grey level of 225 produces a rotation angle of radians and a
phase shift of . There is a scale factor of between the grey levels and the phase shift .
Table 4.1 summarizes the correlation between the grey level, the polarization rotation angle and the
SLM-induced phase shift . It can be seen that the SLM has a phase modulation range of around at
the wavelength of the laser (532nm). These results confirm that the Polarization Mode Converter
enables to rotate the polarization direction of a linearly polarized beam and give us confidence that it
behaves as expected.

BMI laser
(532nm, 150ns, 12kHz)

waveplate
The SLM induces a
SLM uniform phase shift
across the whole
wavefront

Polarizing filter waveplate

Power Direction of the laser beam
(oriented at -45˚)
meter
Polarization Mode Converter

Figure 4.3: Schematic of the experimental setup used to test the Polarization Mode Converter. Before the
Polarization Mode Converter, a half-waveplate is used to produce a linearly polarized beam oriented at
+45˚. The SLM is programmed to induce a planar phase shift . After the Polarization Mode Converter, a
polarizing filter with its transmission axis tilted at -45˚ is used as an analyzer. A power meter measures the
resulting beam amplitude for each phase shift value .
83 Spatial control of polarization: producing Cylindrical Vector Beams

Figure 4.4: Power measurements obtained by analyzing the laser beam after the Polarization Mode
Converter. The transmission axis of the polarization analyzer is tilted at -45˚ and the SLM-induced phase
shift is varied between grey levels 0 and 255. The experiment was carried out twice to check consistency.
The two sets of measurements, which are plotted in blue and green, are in agreement within 10%. This is
consistent with the +/-5% accuracy of the power measurements. The red dashed line is a model of a linearly
polarized beam with a polarization direction rotating by just over radians overall. The experimental
results are consistent within 10% with the model.

Table 4.1: Correlation between the control software input to the SLM (expressed in grey levels), the
polarization rotation angle induced by the Polarization Mode Converter (in radians) and the phase shift
induced by the SLM (in radians). The induced phase shift and polarization rotation angle, which are inferred
from the experimental results shown in Figure 4.3, are accurate within 5%.

Software input to the SLM (grey levels) 0 25 50 75 100 125 150 175 200 225 250

Polarization rotation angle induced by

the Polarization Mode Converter
(radians)

Phase shift induced by the SLM

(radians)
Advanced polarization control for optimizing ultrafast laser micro-processing 84

4.2.5 Experiments producing Cylindrical Vector Beams with the Polarization Mode
Converter:

4.2.5.1 Aim
The experiments in Section 4.2.4 confirmed the ability to rotate polarization direction by using the
Polarization Mode Converter in a uniform rotation configuration. I now aim to confirm experimentally
the ability to produce CVBs. This time the Polarization Mode Converter is used in a spatially dependent
rotation configuration, where polarization rotation is adjusted pixel by pixel. An overall vortex phase
pattern is created on the pixel array of the SLM as detailed in Section 4.2.2. The resulting beam is
expected to be cylindrically polarized (i.e. a CVB), with a residual phase vortex (i.e. an orbital angular
momentum).

4.2.5.2 Experimental setup

The same experimental setup is used as described in Section 4.2.4 (see Figure 4.3) except that the
power meter is replaced with a projection screen. A digital camera is used to capture optical images of
the beam profiles transmitted through the analyzer (polarizing filter) and projected on the screen (see
Figure 4.5).

4.2.5.3 Results
The beam profiles transmitted through the polarization analyzer, shown on the sixth line in Table 4.2
are obtained by setting the SLM to induce a phase vortex, producing various types of CVB with a
residual phase vortex. The regions of the beam with polarization vectors that are parallel to the
transmission axis of the polarization analyzer are transmitted through the analyzer and are visible on the
screen. The regions where the polarization vectors are perpendicular to the transmission axis of the
analyzer are blocked.
When the linear polarization incident on the Polarization Mode Converter was oriented at +45˚, a
radial or azimuthal polarization was obtained. Changing between a radial and an azimuthal polarization
state was achieved by adding a constant planar phase term to the overall phase vortex induced by the
SLM. The beam profiles transmitted through the polarizing filter are consistent with analyzing a radial or
azimuthal polarization (Table 4.2). When the incident polarization was oriented at -45˚, a hybrid
polarization was produced (see Table 4.2). By rotating the polarizing filter used to analyze the beam, I
can discriminate between a radial/azimuthal polarization and a hybrid polarization. With a
radial/azimuthal polarization, rotating the polarizing filter clockwise causes the transmitted beam
pattern to rotate clockwise. With a hybrid mode, rotating the polarizing filter clockwise causes the
transmitted beam pattern to rotate anticlockwise.
The polarization patterns shown in Table 4.3 are obtained by setting the mode converter to produce
CVBs with a residual vortex phase of higher pitch (i.e. topological charge) than . It is noted that in all
cases, the phase singularity at the center of the beam produces a small area of zero field amplitude near
the optical axis. This area is too small to be visible in the images in Tables 4.2 and 4.3.

4.2.5.4 Discussion
As the experiments described here were carried out before achieving a detailed calibration of the
SLM, residual distortions of the beam fluence profiles were visible in the results (see Tables 4.2 and 4.3).
85 Spatial control of polarization: producing Cylindrical Vector Beams

However these preliminary experiments allowed me to verify the ability of the proposed optical setup
design to produce a wide range of CVBs in a flexible manner. They also enabled me to calibrate the SLM
and find the appropriate phase offsets to produce the desired CVBs without distortions. Profiles of CVBs
obtained after calibrating the SLM will be shown in Section 4.3.
It is noted that all the produced CVBs have a residual vortex phase (i.e. an orbital angular
momentum). Although the effects of this phase vortex are not visible in the experimental results
described here, they are important in the laser processing experiments described in later chapters.

Linearly polarized
output (horizontal)
BMI laser (532nm) M1

waveplate
The SLM
Cylindrical Linearly polarized
M2 SLM induces a
Vector beam at 45
Beam vortex
phase shift
pattern
Beam profile Polarizing waveplate
projected Direction of the laser beam
filter
onto a screen
Polarization Mode Converter

Figure 4.5: Schematic of the experimental setup used to analyze the Cylindrical Vector Beams produced
with the Polarization Mode Converter.
Advanced polarization control for optimizing ultrafast laser micro-processing 86

Table 4.2: Summary of the experimental parameters, expected polarization modes and resulting beam
profiles obtained when analyzing various types of CVBs with a phase vortex.

Desired state of Radial Azimuthal Hybrid

polarization (with phase vortex) (with phase vortex) (with phase vortex)

Direction of linear + 45° + 45° - 45°

polarization incident with regard to with regard to with regard to
on the Polarization horizontal axis horizontal axis horizontal axis
Mode Converter

SLM induced vortex

phase pattern

Expected cross-
sectional
polarization pattern

Polarizing filter
transmission axis

Beam profile
patterns after
polarizing filter (the
beam diameter is
shown as a red
circle)
87 Spatial control of polarization: producing Cylindrical Vector Beams

Table 4.3: Summary of the experimental parameters, expected polarization modes and resulting beam
profiles obtained when analyzing CVBs with a phase vortex at various pitches.

Desired state of Hybrid Hybrid Hybrid

polarization (with phase vortex) (with phase vortex) (with phase vortex)

Direction of linear + 45° - 45° + 45°

polarization incident with regard to with regard to with regard to
on the Polarization horizontal axis horizontal axis horizontal axis
Mode Converter

SLM induced vortex

phase pattern

Expected cross-
sectional
polarization pattern

Polarizing filter
transmission axis

Beam profile
patterns after
polarizing filter (the
beam diameter is
shown as a red
circle)
Advanced polarization control for optimizing ultrafast laser micro-processing 88

4.3 Analysis of Cylindrical Vector Beams in the focal region of a

femtosecond laser setup
The experiments described in Section 4.2.5 confirm that the desired CVBs can be produced using the
Polarization Mode Converter. I now set up a similar Polarization Mode Converter on a femtosecond-
pulse laser processing bench and use it for laser marking the polished surface of stainless steel samples.
The aim is to characterize the amplitude and polarization properties of the CVBs produced in the focal
region of the optical setup. In this way, I can investigate how using specially designed CVBs has the
potential to improve the efficiency and quality of industrial micro-processes.

4.3.1 Experimental setup

A schematic of the experimental setup is shown in Figure 4.6. This setup is a modified version of the
one used in Chapters 2 and 3. The output from a femtosecond laser (Clark-MXR CPA2010, with a
minimum pulse width of 160fs, 775nm central wavelength, spectral bandwidth of 5nm, 1mJ maximum
pulse energy, 1kHz repetition rate and horizontal linear polarization) was attenuated by a half-wave
plate and a Glan laser polarizer. The resulting linearly polarized beam was incident on the Polarization
Mode Converter, which consists of a Hamamatsu X10468-02 SLM and a zero-order quarter-waveplate.
As before, a vortex phase shift pattern was instigated by the SLM, producing the desired phase front. A
polarizing filter and a SPIRICON beam profiler were used to analyze the beam and verify that the desired
CVBs were produced. They were removed when the micro-processing experiments were carried out. As
shown in Figure 4.6, after reflection on Mirrors 4 and 5 the beam entered the 10mm aperture of a
scanning galvanometer system with a flat field lens (f = 100mm, NA = 0.03). Samples were mounted on a
precision 4-axis (x, y, z, θ) motion control system (Npaq system, produced by Aerotech) allowing
accurate positioning of the sample in the focal plane.
Autocorrelator Clark-MXR
CPA-2010
PO
Mirror 1 775nm
~1%
160fs

Fast shutter
Main Shutter
λ/2 Plate
Scanning Mirror 5
Galvo Glan.Laser
SLM Polarizer

SPIRICON
Camera
Flat Field
Mirror 2 PO: Pick off
Lens

Polarization Mode Converter

4 Axis Stage Mirror 4 Analyzer

λ/4 Plate Mirror 3 Polarization test components

Figure 4.6: Schematic of the micro-processing experimental setup showing how the Polarization Mode
Converter is used. The Polarization Mode Converter consists of an SLM and a quarter-wave plate. Together
these components convert the linearly polarized femtosecond laser beam into a radially, azimuthally or
circularly polarized beam. The “polarization test components” consist of a polarizing filter (analyzer) and a
SPIRICON (CCD) camera, used to verify the state of polarization of the collimated beam. They are removed
when the micro-processing tests are carried out.
89 Spatial control of polarization: producing Cylindrical Vector Beams

4.3.2 Polarization analysis of the collimated beams

I first checked that the collimated beam after the Polarization Mode Converter (i.e. before the
focusing optics) had the expected polarization. The Polarization Mode Converter was set to produce a
radially and an azimuthally polarized beam in turn. As described earlier in Section 4.2.3, this is achieved
by setting the orientation of the incident polarization at +45˚ and inducing a pitch vortex phase
pattern with the SLM. The linear-to-radial/azimuthal mode conversion was then checked using a
polarization analyzer and a SPIRICON camera placed in the beam path, after the Polarization Mode
Converter (dotted components in Figure 4.6). This is essentially the same experiment as was carried out
in Section 4.2.5, except that this time the SLM control software used a phase calibration factor and a
phase offset to improve the polarization purity and remove distortions in the beam profiles. The beam
intensity profiles transmitted through the polarization analyzer can be seen in Figure 4.7. These beam
profiles are consistent with what is typically expected from analyzing a radially (Figure 4.7-a) or
azimuthally (Figure 4.7-b) polarized beam, as demonstrated in Table 4.2. As anticipated with such
beams, rotating the polarization analyzer (anti)clockwise causes the detected beam profiles to rotate
(anti)clockwise.

Direction of Direction of
a) polarizing filter
b) polarizing filter

c) d)

Figure 4.7: Beam intensity profiles observed with a CCD camera (SPIRICON beam profiler) after transmission
through a horizontally oriented polarization analyzer. The colour coded scale (in arbitrary units) represents
the amplitude of the beam. Only the components of the polarization vectors that are parallel to the
analyzer are transmitted through. (a) is the profile of a radially polarized beam and (b) is the profile of an
azimuthally polarized beam. (c) is a schematic of the vectorial structure of a radially polarized beam and (d)
is a schematic of the structure of an azimuthally polarized beam.

4.3.3 Measuring polarization purity

By placing a power meter after the polarization analyzer, in front of the SPIRICON camera (see Figure
4.6), the polarization purity of the CVBs can be measured. The polarization purity was determined by the
following method (which is also described in T. Moser et al. 2006). The laser power was measured when
the analyzer was oriented at different angles. A maximum transmitted power, referred to as , was
measured when the transmission axis of the analyzer was oriented at with regard to the
horizontal. A minimum transmitted power, referred to as , was measured when the axis of the
analyzer was oriented at (i.e. rotated by from the orientation of the maximum transmitted
Advanced polarization control for optimizing ultrafast laser micro-processing 90

power). It was found mW and mW. The polarization purity, noted , was
derived from the following formula:
(4.7)
Using to this formula, the polarization purity was found to be . It is noted that if the through
power was independent of the direction of the polarization analyzer and was always half of the incident
power, the polarization purity would be 100%.

4.3.4 Polarization analysis in the focal plane

4.3.4.1 Aim
Having confirmed that the collimated beam after the Polarization Mode Converter had the expected
state of polarization as described above, I then looked at the focal properties of the processing bench.
The aim is to characterize the intensity distribution and polarization properties of the CVBs produced in
the focal plane.

4.3.4.2 Experimental procedure

I used the method described in Chapter 2 to produce LIPSS on polished stainless steel surfaces and
imprint the polarization vectors in the focal plane.
The Polarization Mode Converter was used to produce a linearly, circularly, radially and azimuthally
polarized beam in turn. Summarizing from Chapter 2, the laser pulse energy was attenuated to 5µJ
(1.5J/cm²) and each point was exposed to ~15 laser pulses, producing spot diameters of 38+/-10µm.

4.3.4.3 Results
After processing, I analyzed the laser marked spots with an optical microscope. High-magnification
optical micrographs of the laser spots can be seen in Figure 4.8.
 Figure 4.8-a shows the LIPSS within the laser spot produced with a linearly polarized beam. As
expected, the LIPSS formed as recurring linear structures oriented perpendicular to the direction of
polarization. This is consistent with the results described in Chapter 2. It is noted that the region in
the centre of the spot has no LIPSS. This is thought to be because the higher fluence at the tip of the
Gaussian beam (i.e. in the middle of the spot) prevented the formation of LIPSS. This will be
investigated further in Section 4.3.5.
 Figure 4.8-b shows the laser spot produced with a circularly polarized beam. No structure could be
clearly identified within the spot. This is also consistent with the previous results in Chapter 2.
 Figure 4.8-c shows the laser spot produced with a radially polarized beam. The resulting LIPSS formed
recurring curved structures centred on the middle of the laser spot. As the direction of the LIPSS is
perpendicular to that of the electric field vectors (Z. Guosheng et al. 1982), the geometry of the
structures inside the laser spot seems to imply that the electric field vectors are azimuthally oriented
i.e. azimuthal polarization is likely to be dominant around the focal point.
 Figure 4.8-d shows the laser spot produced with an azimuthally polarized beam. The LIPSS appear to
form an approximate circular pattern around the centre of the laser spot. This implies that radial
polarization is likely to be dominant around the focal point.
91 Spatial control of polarization: producing Cylindrical Vector Beams

a) b)

10μm 10μm

c) d)

10μm 10μm

Figure 4.8: Optical micrographs showing the structures of the polarization vectors around the focal point of
the micro-processing setup. The structures are imprinted into the surface of a stainless steel work-piece
using LIPSS produced by 15+/-5 femtosecond pulses at 5µJ per pulse (1.5J/cm²). The arrows show the
direction of the LIPSS and are perpendicular to that of the polarization vectors. The Polarization Mode
Converter successively produced laser beams polarized linearly, circularly, radially and azimuthally,
producing the laser spots shown in (a), (b), (c) and (d) respectively.
Advanced polarization control for optimizing ultrafast laser micro-processing 92

As expected, the radially and azimuthally polarized beams shown in Figures 4.8-c and 4.8-d produce
patterns of LIPSS that are perpendicular to each other. This is most visible at the edges of the laser
spots. It is noted that the laser spots produced with radially and azimuthally polarized beams are
elliptical, tilted at ~45˚. It is also noted that there is a ~10µm diameter region in the centre of these laser
spots where no LIPSS are visible. The reason for the absence of LIPSS in the central region will be
discussed further in Chapter 5.
The experimental results obtained when focusing radially and azimuthally polarized beams are
repeatable with other materials. Experiments using the same setup have been carried out on silicon
wafers, producing the same patterns of LIPSS as in Figure 4.8 (see J. Ouyang, 2011).
Figure 4.9 summarizes the polarization analysis of CVBs at the focal plane, by splitting the laser-
marked spots into three regions with different properties. It is noted that the elliptical shape of the
beam affects the polarization purity, since the amplitude of the polarization vectors appears to be
higher along the long axis of the ellipse.

Tilt axis
Region a

Region b

Regions c

Figure 4.9: Schematic showing the overall geometry of the laser spots marked by focusing CVBs produced
using the Polarization Mode Converter. The laser spots are always elliptical and tilted at ~45˚. They can be
split into three regions, referred to as Regions a, b and c. In Region a, the LIPSS are not clearly visible. The
reason for this will be discussed in Chapter 5. In Region b, the LIPSS are clearer and reveal the dominant
polarization at the focal plane. In Region c, the LIPSS generally follow the same direction as those in the
tangential areas of region b (i.e. along the tilt axis). It is noted that the polarization purity is affected by the
ellipticity of the beams.
93 Spatial control of polarization: producing Cylindrical Vector Beams

4.3.4.4 Discussion
The investigation of the LIPSS outlined above revealed that the radially polarized collimated beam
from the Polarization Mode Converter seemed to produce an azimuthally polarized focal region and vice
versa. It is interesting to consider why the state of polarization in the focal plane appears to be
orthogonal to that of the collimated beam after the Polarization Mode Converter. In Chapter 5, I will
present an analytical model explaining that an inversion in the state of polarization is expected in the
focal plane when focusing CVBs with a phase vortex. However it is also noted here that a numerical
simulation of a microscopy setup predicted that a radially polarized beam with a vortex phase becomes
azimuthally polarized in the focal plane, whereas a radially polarized beam with a planar phase remains
radially polarized in the focal plane (H. Kang et al. 2010). It is likely that the polarization inversion effect
observed in my experiments above is also related to the vortex phase of the beam and it is anticipated
that it would not occur when focusing a beam with a planar phase (i.e. without residual vortex phase).
The size and shape of the laser spots were also affected by the vortex phase structure of the radially
and azimuthally polarized beams. The radially/azimuthally polarized vortex beams focused as elliptical
spots with two lobes. This is consistent with theoretical predictions in G. Machavariani et al. 2007,
where the focusing properties of a radially polarized vortex beam are investigated using a numerical
simulation (although the geometry of the polarization vectors is not analyzed). The linearly and circularly
polarized beams, which do not have a vortex phase structure, produced slightly smaller spots without
lobes (32+/-5μm for linearly/circularly polarized beams versus 40+/-5μm for radially/azimuthally
polarized vortex beams).

4.3.5 Comparative analysis of intensity profiles in the focal plane

In the experiments described in Section 4.3.4 above, the linearly and circularly polarized beams were
produced by setting the incident polarization in a direction perpendicular to the axis of the liquid-
crystals of the SLM. In this configuration, the SLM behaved like a mirror and no change in the phase or
polarization of the beam occurred. Therefore, the linearly and circularly polarized laser beams had a
phase that remained planar. In Section 4.3.4, these beams produced smaller spot sizes in the focal plane
compared with radially and azimuthally polarized vortex phase beams, although they were marked using
the same value of energy per pulse. A possible explanation for this is that there is a difference in the
focal intensity (i.e. fluence) profiles between these beams, due to the difference in their phase
structures.
To test this hypothesis, I marked laser spots on the surface of a stainless steel sample using the
experimental setup described above (Figure 4.6) and I used an optical surface profiling system (WYKO
NT1100) to measure the laser spots diameter and depth. The Polarization Mode Converter was used to
produce a linearly, radially and azimuthally polarized beam in turn, as described in Section 4.3.4.
However this time, the laser pulse energy was further attenuated to 1µJ (0.3J/cm²) and each point was
exposed to ~1500 laser pulses.
After processing, I analyzed the resulting laser marked surface with an optical microscope (see optical
micrograph in Figure 4.10). The sample was also analyzed with the surface profiling system to measure
the laser spots diameter and depth. It was found that the radially and azimuthally polarized beams both
produced spots diameters of 15+/-3μm and a depth of 5.5+/-0.5μm (i.e. a depth/diameter ratio of
Advanced polarization control for optimizing ultrafast laser micro-processing 94

~0.37), whereas the linearly polarized beam produced spots diameters of 22+/-4μm and a depth of
12.0+/-1.0μm (i.e. a depth/diameter ratio of ~0.55).
The results above confirmed that the radially and azimuthally polarized beams produced a different
spot diameter and depth compared with the linearly polarized beam, although all these beams had the
same value of energy per pulse (1µJ). For example the spot diameter was 15+/-3μm for a radially or
azimuthally polarized beam whereas it was 22+/-4μm for a linearly polarized beam. Interestingly, these
results seem to be inconsistent with the previous experimental results in Section 4.3.4, where the
radially or azimuthally polarized beam produced wider spot diameters (40+/-5μm) than the linearly
polarized ones (32+/-5μm). However, the hypothesis outlined above where the beams have different
intensity profiles, could resolve the apparent inconsistency.
The experimental results may indeed be explained if the linearly polarized beam had a comparatively
steep Gaussian fluence profile while the radially and azimuthally polarized beams both had a
comparatively wide fluence profile with a lower peak than the linearly polarized beam. The
experimental results obtained when marking with a pulse energy of 1µJ (0.3J/cm²) are consistent with a
linearly polarized beam having a peak fluence that is well above the ablation threshold of the stainless
steel sample (0.16J/cm²), producing deeper and wider holes as a result. These results are also consistent
with radially/azimuthally polarized beams having a peak fluence that is just above the ablation
threshold, producing shallower holes. The suggested beam profiles are shown in Figure 4.11-a.
In Section 4.3.4, the experiments used a higher pulse energy of 5µJ (1.5J/cm²). As a result, the
suggested intensity profiles are effectively shifted “upwards” in the fluence scale (see Figure 4.11-b).
The diameter of all the laser spots increases, those produced with radially/azimuthally polarized beams
become the widest.
This comparative analysis provides an insight into how the phase structure of the beams affects their
intensity profiles. This analysis could not easily be carried out using a beam profiler, such as the
SPIRICON camera shown in Figure 4.6. A beam profiler generally uses a beam splitter to pick-off a
fraction of the beam power. With CVBs, these beam splitters effectively behave like polarizing filters
producing profiles such as the ones shown in Figure 4.7 and making it difficult to compare with linearly
or circularly polarized beams.

50μm

Figure 4.10: Optical micrograph showing the laser spots produced with ~1500 femtosecond pulses at 1µJ
per pulse (0.3J/cm²). The spots were produced with a linearly (left), azimuthally (centre) and radially (right)
polarized beam
95 Spatial control of polarization: producing Cylindrical Vector Beams

a) Fluence (J/cm²)
Linearly
polarized
a Radially /
beam azimuthally
polarized
b
beam
0.16J/cm²

X (μm)
22μm 15μm
Ablation spot diameters

b) Fluence (J/cm²)
Linearly
a
polarized
Radially /
beam azimuthally
b
polarized
beam

0.16J/cm²

X (μm)
32μm 40μm
Ablation spot diameters
Figure 4.11: Schematics representing the suggested beam intensity profiles in the focal plane, inferred from
the experimental results. The profiles in (a) are consistent with experimental results obtained with a laser
pulse energy of 1µJ. The profiles in (b) are consistent with a laser pulse energy of 5µJ. The horizontal dotted
line represents the ablation threshold of stainless steel. The diameter of the profile at the ablation
threshold is determined from the diameter of the laser ablation spot, which is obtained experimentally.

4.3.6 Effect of the phase vortex on the focusing properties of CVBs

4.3.6.1 Optical aberrations

In the experimental setup used for laser micro-processing with CVBs (see Figure 4.6 in Section 4.3.1),
some of the optical components induce aberrations that affect the focal properties. Here, these
aberrations are sorted into five types:
 Beam mode: slight aberrations in the laser beam mode affect the polarization purity of the CVBs
produced in the experiments. Here the laser beam quality factor, measured with a SPIRICON beam
profiler, is . The beam profile can be seen in Figure 4.12. The polarization purity, measured
in Section 4.3.3, was .
 Astigmatism in the laser beam: this affects the morphology of the laser spot above and below the
focal plane.
 SLM surface distortions: due to constraints in the manufacturing of the active liquid-crystal layers,
phase distortions are induced by the SLM. Some, but not all of these distortions are corrected using a
Advanced polarization control for optimizing ultrafast laser micro-processing 96

phase correction pattern provided by the SLM manufacturer (see Figure 4.13). This phase correction
pattern is superimposed on the desired phase patterns such as the ones shown in Tables 4.2 and 4.3.
 Residual phase divergence induced by the Polarization Mode Converter: the phase vortex induced by
the SLM produces a phase singularity at the optical axis. The pixels of the SLM that are very close to
this central phase singularity induce significant diffraction effects, because of the rapid transverse
spatial phase variations associated with the singularity (L. Marrucci et al. 2011). These diffraction
effects produce a residual divergence of the beam. The residual phase divergence is further discussed
in Chapter 5.
 Residual phase vortex induced by the Polarization Mode Converter: although the residual phase
vortex is not an optical aberration, it affects the focusing properties of the CVBs.

Figure 4.12: Laser beam profile observed with a CCD camera (SPIRICON beam profiler). The experimental
setup is shown in Figure 4.6. The colour coded scale (in arbitrary units) represents the amplitude of the
beam.

Figure 4.13: Phase correction pattern induced by a Hamamatsu X10468-02 SLM, to correct for phase
distortions induced from the imperfect surface flatness of its LCOS chip. This phase correction pattern was
provided by Hamamatsu Photonics K.K.

4.3.6.2 Residual phase vortex

In this section, I look at how the residual vortex structure of the phase affects the laser fluence
amplitude profile (i.e. the intensity distribution) in the focal plane. This is done by using the
experimental setup described in Section 4.3.1 (Figure 4.6) to produce CVBs with a vortex phase pitch
(topological charge) of , and successively.
The resulting beams were first analyzed with a polarizing filter and a SPIRICON camera. The beam
profiles can be seen in Figure 4.14. These beams were then used to process the surface of polished
stainless steel samples placed at the focal plane, with the laser pulse energy attenuated to 10µJ
(3J/cm²), using the setup described in Figure 4.6 (without the dashed components). Each point was
exposed to ~15 laser pulses.
97 Spatial control of polarization: producing Cylindrical Vector Beams

After processing, the resulting laser marked surface was observed with an optical surface profiling
system (WYKO NT1100). The measured surface profiles can be seen in Figure 4.15. It is noted that all the
produced laser spots have LIPSS that reveal their polarization structure. However this analysis aimed at
studying the laser fluence amplitude profile at the focal plane, so the LIPSS were not analyzed further.
Here, I look at the morphology of the produced laser spots, since it gives an indication of the laser
amplitude profile at the focal plane. All the produced laser spots have a “Z” shaped structure with two
lobes. It can be seen that increasing the vortex pitch moves the lobes further away from the centre of
the spots. The maximum depth of the laser spots was found to be 1.0±0.5µm in all cases. The lobes are
also found to be deeper (1.0±0.5µm) than the centre of the spot (0.6±0.4µm) when a vortex phase pitch
of was applied. The lobes are shallower than the center of the spot with higher vortex pitches
(0.2±0.2µm at the lobes versus 1.0±0.5µm at the centre when a pitch phase vortex was used). This
means that the lobes carry less energy with higher vortex pitches.
It is noted that the laser spot produced with a phase vortex in Figure 4.15-b is not exactly similar
to the ones shown in Figure 4.8, which were also produced with CVBs with a phase vortex. This is
because the SLM was used in a different mode between the two experiments. The laser spots shown in
Figure 4.8 were produced with the SLM using a corrective phase pattern (see Figure 4.13). The laser
spots sown in Figure 4.15 were produced without using any corrective phase pattern.

a) b) c)

Figure 4.14: Beam profiles observed with a CCD camera (SPIRICON beam profiler) after transmission
through a horizontally oriented polarization analyzer. The colour coded scale (in arbitrary units) represents
the amplitude of the beam. Only the components of the polarization vectors that are parallel to the
analyzer are transmitted through. (a) is the profile of a CVB with a phase vortex pitch of . (b) is the profile
of a CVB with a phase vortex pitch of . (c) is the profile of a CVB with a phase vortex pitch of .
Advanced polarization control for optimizing ultrafast laser micro-processing 98

a)

b)

c)

Figure 4.15: Laser marked spots observed with an optical surface profiling system. All the laser spots were
produced on a polished stainless steel surface by 15+/-5 femtosecond pulses at 10µJ per pulse (3J/cm²),
using CVBs with a phase vortex. The colour-coded scale shows the distance from the surface of the sample,
in µm. The dark blue regions are the deepest regions. The morphology of the laser spots is an indirect
indication of the intensity distribution at the focal plane. (a) was produced with a phase vortex pitch of .
(b) was produced using with a phase vortex pitch of . (c) was produced with a phase vortex pitch of .
99 Spatial control of polarization: producing Cylindrical Vector Beams

4.3.7 Three dimensional mapping of the polarization structure of CVBs in the focal region

4.3.7.1 Aim
In the experiments in Section 4.3.4, I found that a radially polarized vortex phase collimated beam
produced an azimuthally polarized focal spot and vice versa. This suggests that the state of polarization
of the focused beam varies along the optical axis of the focusing lens. In order to better understand this
phenomenon, I use the LIPSS analysis method to imprint the polarization vectors at various planes
above and below the focal plane of the focusing lens. In this way, I can build a three dimensional map of
the polarization vectors in and around the focal plane.

4.3.7.2 Experimental procedure

I used the same experimental procedure as described in Section 4.3.4, except that the stainless steel
sample was placed at various positions above and below the focal plane (see Figure 4.16). After
processing, the resulting laser marked spots were imaged with an optical microscope.

Collimated beam

Focusing (flat field) lens

Z=1.0mm

Z=0.5mm
Z=0.0mm
Z=-0.5mm
Z=-1.0mm

Figure 4.16: Schematic showing the focused beam and the planes where the sample was positioned to mark
the LIPSS. The focal plane of the lens is set at Z=0mm.
Advanced polarization control for optimizing ultrafast laser micro-processing 100

a) c)

10μm

d)

10μm

b)
10μm

e)

10μm 10μm

Figure 4.17: Optical micrographs showing the structure of the polarization vectors in various planes along
the optical axis of the focusing lens. The polarization vectors are imprinted into the surface of a stainless
steel work-piece using LIPSS produced by 15+/-5 femtosecond pulses at 5µJ per pulse (1.5J/cm²). The
incident collimated vortex phase beam is azimuthally polarized. The arrows show the direction of the LIPSS
and so are perpendicular to the polarization vectors. The sample surface was positioned 1mm above the
focal plane in (a), 0.5mm above the focal plane in (b), at the focal plane in (c), 0.5mm below the focal plane
in (d) and 1mm below the focal plane in (e).
101 Spatial control of polarization: producing Cylindrical Vector Beams

a) c)

10μm

d)

10μm

b)

10μm

e)

10μm 10μm
Figure 4.18: Optical micrographs showing the structure of the polarization vectors in various planes along
the optical axis of the focusing lens. The polarization vectors are imprinted into the surface of a stainless
steel work-piece using LIPSS produced by 15+/-5 femtosecond pulses at 5µJ per pulse (1.5J/cm²). The
incident collimated vortex phase beam is radially polarized. The arrows show the direction of the LIPSS and
so are perpendicular to the polarization vectors. The sample surface was positioned 1mm above the focal
plane in (a), 0.5mm above the focal plane in (b), at the focal plane in (c), 0.5mm below the focal plane in (d)
and 1mm below the focal plane in (e).
Advanced polarization control for optimizing ultrafast laser micro-processing 102

4.3.7.3 Results
Figure 4.17 shows the LIPSS within the laser marked spots at each position along the optical axis. The
Polarization Mode Converter was set to generate an azimuthally polarized vortex phase collimated
beam in this instance. Figure 4.18 shows the LIPSS within the laser marked spots for a radially polarized
vortex phase collimated beam.
Figures 4.17 and 4.18 show that the morphology of the laser spots and the geometry of the LIPSS vary
around the focal plane of the laser beam. This means that both the intensity and polarization of the
focused vortex phase beams have a geometrical structure that varies along the optical axis after the
focusing lens.

4.3.7.4 Morphology of the laser spots

I first look at the morphology of the laser spots, which is an indirect indication of the intensity
structure of the focused beam:
 The laser spots above the focal plane, shown in Figures 4.17-a, 4.17-b, 4.18-a and 4.18-b, have lobes
that are larger further away from the focal plane (Figures 4.17-a and 4.18-a). The lobes are fairly
small 0.5mm above the focal plane (Figures 4.17-b and 4.18-b) and they almost disappear at the focal
plane (Figures 4.17-c and 4.18-c).
 Below the focal planes, small lobes are visible which are perpendicular to those above the focal plane
(Figures 4.17-d, 4.17-e, 4.18-d and 4.18-e).
These lobe structures are not visible when laser marking samples with a planar phase (i.e. without a
phase vortex), as was shown in Figure 4.8. Therefore, it is thought that they are related to the phase
vortex produced by the Polarization Mode Converter. The current design of the Polarization Mode
Converter does not allow a CVB to be produced without a residual phase vortex. Furthermore in this
experimental setup, a slight astigmatism of the produced laser beam influences the shape of the laser
spots produced above and below the focal plane. However, the effect of the phase vortex is thought to
dominate the distortions in the spot morphology.

4.3.7.5 Geometry of the LIPSS

Now I look at the structure of the LIPSS (i.e. the polarization vectors):
 The LIPSS at the focal plane (Figures 4.17-c and 4.18-c) are consistent with those presented in Section
4.3.4 (see Figure 4.8).
 Above the focal plane, the center of the beam has approximately the same LIPSS structure as in the
focal plane. This is especially visible in Figures 4.17-b and 4.18-b. However, the lobes have LIPSS that
gradually curve away from the center of the beam, as seen in Figures 4.17-a and 4.18-a. This implies
that the polarization vectors also curve perpendicularly to the LIPSS.
 Below the focal plane, the structure of the LIPSS varies along the optical axis. The LIPSS gradually
change the further away from the focal plane in such a way that, 1mm below the focal plane, they
are approximately orthogonal to those at the focal plane (see Figures 4.17-e and 4.18-e). This implies
that the state of polarization is also orthogonal to that at the focal plane. Coincidentally, the state of
polarization 1mm below the focal plane is similar to that of the collimated beam after the
Polarization Mode Converter.
103 Spatial control of polarization: producing Cylindrical Vector Beams

4.3.7.6 Discussion
The analysis of the LIPSS implies that, when focusing CVBs with a vortex phase, the polarization
vectors appear to “twist” along the optical axis of the focusing optics. This analysis allowed me to
confirm that the state of polarization of the focused beam indeed varies along the optical axis of the
focusing lens. This phenomenon is thought to be related to the vortex phase of the CVBs produced with
the Polarization Mode Converter. It is anticipated that it would not occur when focusing a beam with a
planar phase. This is an important result for laser material processing, where only the state of
polarization within the focal region is relevant. It highlights the necessity to check the state of
polarization of a CVB at the focal plane, because it is not necessarily the same as that of the collimated
beam, where polarization is typically analyzed. However the implications of these results go beyond
laser machining. These results give an insight into CVBs with an orbital angular momentum (i.e. a phase
vortex) and could contribute to improve the understanding of laser-material interactions with these
beams.
The phenomenon that leads to the variation of the polarization state along the optical axis is not
trivial. To better understand this phenomenon and the polarization properties of focused vortex beams,
I developed an analytical model that describes these beams. The model is detailed in Chapter 5.
Advanced polarization control for optimizing ultrafast laser micro-processing 104

4.4 Chapter summary

The chief points of this chapter are outlined below. A discussion of the wider context of these results
is outlined in Chapter 7.

 I have introduced a Polarization Mode Converter that comprises a liquid-crystal SLM and a quarter-
waveplate and demonstrated theoretically, using Jones vector formalism, how it can produce CVBs.

 The Jones vector calculations show that there is a residual phase vortex after the Polarization Mode
Converter. For example if radially or azimuthally polarized beams are produced, the residual phase
vortex has a pitch.

 As a proof of concept, the Polarization Mode Converter was implemented in a nanosecond-pulse

laser test bench, demonstrating experimentally that CVBs can be produced.

 The Polarization Mode Converter was implemented in an ultrafast laser micro-processing bench. The
intensity distribution and polarization properties around the focal point of the micro-processing
bench were studied.

 At the focal plane, the state of polarization was found to be orthogonal to that of the collimated
beam before the focusing lens. This polarization rotation effect is thought to be caused by the
residual vortex phase structure induced with the Polarization Mode Converter.

 Analyzing polarization above and below the focal plane revealed that the polarization vectors “twist”
along the optical axis of the focusing optics. This is an interesting development in the study of CVBs
with an orbital angular momentum (i.e. a phase vortex). It could contribute to improve the
understanding of laser-material interactions with these beams.

 The phase vortex affects the intensity distribution at the focal plane, producing lobes around the
center of the focal spot. Changing the pitch of the phase vortex affects the intensity distribution and
the size of the lobes.
105 Spatial control of polarization: producing Cylindrical Vector Beams
Advanced polarization control for optimizing ultrafast laser micro-processing 106

5
Geometrical analysis of the polarization state
in the focal plane

5.1 Introduction
The experimental results described in Chapter 4 indicate that the state of polarization at the focal
plane is orthogonal to that of the collimated vortex phase beams before the focusing optics. For
example, a collimated vortex phase beam polarized radially after the Polarization Mode Converter
becomes azimuthally polarized at the focal plane and vice versa. In this chapter, I present an analytical
model of the optical components in the experiments described in Chapter 4 aimed at investigating this
phenomenon.
Numerical models are frequently used to predict the structure of the polarization vectors around the
focal point of optical setups. These models help us to understand the focal properties of various
polarization modes (for example Q. Zhan & J. R. Leger, 2002 studied focused laser spots produced with
CVBs with a planar phase, H. Kang et al. 2010 modeled several types of radially polarized beams with a
vortex phase, focused with a high NA microscope setup and D. P. Biss & T. G. Brown, 2004 looked at
aberrations produced by focusing radially polarized beams). These models indicate that the state of
polarization of a collimated CVB with a planar phase is maintained at the focal plane. However, the focal
behavior of CVBs with a vortex phase is more complicated as it depends on the optical properties of the
experiment (topological charge of the phase vortex, NA of the focusing optic, etc). The publications
above involved models of optical setups where high NA objectives are used to focus the beam,
producing very small focal spots, so their results are not directly transferable to my own optical setup. In
my experiments, I used a 100mm focal length f-theta lens with a NA of 0.03. Numerical simulations using
similar low NA optics are available in the literature (for example Y. V. Krylenko et al. 2011 modelled an
optical setup with a 100mm focal length, using two different numerical calculation methods and
compared the results between the two methods). However, none of the published results address the
polarization properties at the focal plane of radially or azimuthally polarized vortex phase beams,
focused with a low NA optic similar to the one used in my experiments. Since no numerical simulation
available in the literature can explain the experimental results found in Chapter 4, I have developed an
analytical model of these beams. Analytical calculations rather that numerical ones are used, thanks to
the simple geometry of the setup.
This chapter describes how I represent my optical setup using a geometrical approach to analyze the
Jones vectors at the focal plane. This model explains the inversion in the state of polarization at the focal
plane between a radial and an azimuthal mode. This chapter is structured as follows:
 I first describe how the geometry of the experimental setup can be modeled analytically, using
approximations where appropriate.
107 Geometrical analysis of the polarization state in the focal plane

 I detail how the model describes various types of CVBs using complex Jones vectors.
 I study the focusing properties of a radially polarized beam with a planar phase.
 I also study the focusing properties of a radially polarized beam with a vortex phase.
 The focusing properties of azimuthally polarized beams with a planar or a vortex phase are also
studied.
 The resulting model predictions are discussed and compared with the experimental results presented
in Chapter 4.
To aid clarity, some of the derivations in this chapter are summarized. The full derivations are
available in Appendix B.

5.2 Outline of the model

5.2.1 Geometry of the experimental setup

The geometrical properties of the beams produced in the experiments allow me to make a number of
approximations in the model, keeping my analysis simple without compromising the accuracy of the
predictions. Here, I describe some of the geometrical properties of these beams. In the next section, I
discuss the resulting simplifications in the model.
 The Polarization Mode Converter produces an annular beam. This is because the SLM induces a
phase singularity at the optical axis, where the beam amplitude is zero.
 The Polarization Mode Converter produces a CVB with a discrete polarization structure, because of
the finite number of pixels on the SLM (see schematic in Figure 5.1-a).
 The focusing optic after the Polarization Mode Converter is a low NA lens (NA = 0.03).
 The SLM induces a residual unwanted phase divergence, which is superimposed on the desired phase
pattern. This phase divergence, caused by diffraction effects in the liquid-crystal layer near the phase
singularity (Marrucci et al. 2011), induces a spread of the laser beam energy at the focal plane. Figure
5.2 shows the phase spread which is cylindrically symmetric around the optical axis: the resulting
widened laser spot is centered on the focal point, noted O in Figure 5.2. It is noted that these SLM-
induced diffraction effects dominate the overall diffraction at the focal plane. Therefore other
sources of diffraction, such as the focusing optics, are ignored in the model.

5.2.2 Approximations
To mimic the experimental setup, my model represents the annular beam with eight polarization
vectors equally spread around the beam profile (Figure 5.1-b). Although approximate, this model
reflects the annular, pixelated structure of the CVBs produced in the experiments. Also, because of the
low NA of the focusing optic, the longitudinal components of the polarization vectors (i.e. along the
optical axis) at the focal plane are ignored in the model, since their contribution is negligible. This makes
the geometrical calculations simpler.
To mimic the residual unwanted phase spread induced by the SLM, I assume that each point in the
focal plane is reached by a separate planar component of the overall wavefront (Figure 5.2).
Advanced polarization control for optimizing ultrafast laser micro-processing 108

5.2.3 Principle of the model

The resulting polarization and amplitude at the focal plane are studied using the complex Jones vector
technique (which was first used in Chapter 4). I sum the contribution from each of the annular beam’s
eight vectors at various points in the focal plane. My study first looks at two specific points in the focal
plane: at the optical axis (shown as Point O in Figure 5.2) and at a location in the focal plane where the
optical path difference between two cylindrically opposite vectors is equal to half of a wavelength (as is
the case at Points A or B for example in Figure 5.2). Thanks to the cylindrical symmetry of this problem,
the polarization properties at other points in the focal plane can then be extrapolated from those at
Points O and A. This analysis gives me a good approximation of the polarization and amplitude in the
focal plane, without requiring an advanced numerical simulation.
In this analysis, I look at four types of CVB. I first look at a radially polarized beam with a planar phase.
Then I look at a radially polarized beam with a vortex phase (i.e. a topological charge of one). The
polarization properties at the focal plane are compared between these two beams to show how the
phase vortex influences the focal properties. The focal properties of azimuthally polarized beams with
planar and vortex phase structures are also derived. It is noted that the model described here could
in principle predict the focal polarization of CVBs other than radially or azimuthally polarized beams.
However, as the model relies on vectorial symmetry, the CVBs have to have a cylindrical symmetry. This
is the case, for example, for CVBs with a vortex phase pitch that is an even multiple of (i.e. , , ,
etc...).
Although the Polarization Mode Converter used in the experiments can only produce radially or
azimuthally polarized beams with a vortex phase, modeling planar phase CVBs allows me to check
the model by comparing its prediction with the existing publications available in the literature. As
discussed above in Section 5.1, the focal properties of planar phase CVBs are better understood than
those of CVBs with a vortex phase.
109 Geometrical analysis of the polarization state in the focal plane

a) b)
Polarization vector

Annular beam perimeter

Region of zero amplitude

Figure 5.1: (a) Simplified schematic showing the pixel structure of the SLM used in the experiments. The
beam perimeter is shown as a dotted line (not to scale). Each pixel produces a polarization angle that is
slightly different from that of its neighbours. In this example, the overall polarization is radial. At the center
of the beam, a zero amplitude region is caused by the phase singularity. In the experimental setup, the
beam diameter is ~6mm and the pixel size is 50μm, so there are ~120 pixels across the beam diameter. (b)
Schematic showing how the model represents the annular beam with eight polarization vectors surrounding
a region of zero amplitude.

SLM

Focusing lens

Focal plane
A O B

Figure 5.2: Schematic showing how the residual unwanted phase divergence produced by the SLM induces
a spread of the laser beam energy at the focal plane. In the model described here, each point at the focal
plane is reached by a separate planar wavefront component. For clarity, the quarter-waveplate after the
SLM is not represented here, since it does not affect the phase divergence.
Advanced polarization control for optimizing ultrafast laser micro-processing 110

5.3 Vectorial calculation

It is noted here that I use as an index number and as an imaginary number.

5.3.1 Geometry of the model

Figure 5.3 shows the geometry of the model. The annular CVB is represented by eight Jones vectors
(Figure 5.3-a). The CVB focused with a low NA objective is studied at two specific points in the focal
plane: at Points O and A (Figure 5.3-b). Point O is on the optical axis, where some of the laser energy is
focused. Because of the residual unwanted phase divergence induced by the SLM, some of the laser
energy is also focused at Point A.
The resulting Jones vector at each of these points is derived by summing the contribution from all the
vectors and normalizing the sum: . Because of the very low NA of the focusing optic, I ignore
the longitudinal components of the vectors (i.e. along the optical axis) at these points.

5.3.2 Jones vector coordinates definition

I first define a reference coordinate system in the focal plane to express the Jones vectors
(Figure 5.3-c). Each Jones vector is defined within this coordinate system as ( ; ). The vector
coordinates and are expressed as complex numbers: and ,
where and , are the amplitude and phase of respectively. The relation between the
amplitude of and the amplitude of its coordinates and is: . For
convenience we choose .
It is noted that, thanks to the quarter-waveplate inserted after the SLM in the optical setup, the phase
of both complex coordinates and is the same: (this could be seen in Equation
4.6 in Chapter 4, where there was no phase difference between the horizontal and vertical coordinates).
Without the quarter-waveplate, and would have different values (this could also be seen in
Equation 4.2 in Chapter 4, where there was a phase difference between the horizontal and vertical
coordinates).
The resulting Jones vector at any given point in the focal plane is ( ; ). To derive
the Jones vector at that point, I use the "Complex Plane" method. It is noted that the "Complex Plane"
method enables to sum complex vectors and derive geometrically the resulting amplitude and phase.
However this method requires all the vectors in the sum to be parallel to each other. Therefore in this
analysis, I sum all the vector components parallel to together ( ) and all the vector
components parallel to together ( ), as two separate calculations. The "Complex Plane"
method also requires the phase of all the vectors to be expressed with regard to the same reference
origin. In the next section, I define the origin of the phase.
111 Geometrical analysis of the polarization state in the focal plane

a)
CVB profile

b)
SLM

Low NA
focusing
optics

Focal plane
A O

c) Focal spot
profile

A O
X

Y
Figure 5.3: Schematics showing: (a) the eight polarization vectors in the CVB profile, (b) the side-view of the
phase fronts focusing at the focal plane and (c) the reference coordinate system (O, X, Y) describing the
focal plane. It is noted that the quarter-waveplate after the SLM is not represented here as it does not
affect the divergence of the phase fronts.
Advanced polarization control for optimizing ultrafast laser micro-processing 112

5.3.3 Jones vectors phase definition

To use the "Complex Plane" method, the model needs to define each phase according to the
structure of the phase front (i.e. planar or vortex) and the location where the phase front focuses (i.e.
Point O or Point A). For clarity, each phase term is defined as the sum of a phase term related to
the structure of the phase front and a phase term related to the tilt angle of the phase front:
.

5.3.4 Phase term

In this analysis, I am interested in two types of phase front geometry: a planar phase front and a
vortex phase front with a pitch of (i.e. a topological charge of one).
 If the beam has a planar phase front, all the eight phase terms are equal. For simplicity, they are
defined as: . This case is further investigated in Section 5.4.
 If the beam has a vortex phase front with a topological charge of one, the phase terms are defined
as: . This case is further investigated in Section 5.5.

5.3.5 Phase term

The phase tilt factor has to be added to each phase term if the phase front is not perpendicular
to the optical axis (as is the case for the component of the phase front that focuses at Point A).
Here, I need to derive the phase tilt factor for each incident vector in the case of the phase
front component that focuses at Point O and the one that focuses at Point A.

5.3.5.1 Phase front that focuses at Point O

Figure 5.3-b shows the component of the phase front that focuses at Point O, from the SLM to the
focal plane. The phase front is perpendicular to the optical axis of the setup and there is no optical path
(i.e. phase) difference between the contributing incident polarization vectors that focus at Point O.
This means there is no need for any phase tilt factor to be included when adding the contribution from
each vector at Point O: .

5.3.5.2 Phase front that focuses at Point A

Figure 5.3-b shows the component of the phase front that focuses at Point A, from the SLM to the
focal plane. This phase front diverges linearly away from the optical axis of the setup (i.e. it is tilted from
the optical axis). The tilt angle implies that there is an optical path (i.e. phase) difference between each
contributing incident vector that focuses at Point A. Figure 5.4 illustrates how the phase front tilt at
the SLM induces an optical path difference at Point A. In my model, Point A has specific geometrical
properties: its location is chosen so that the contributions from and are out of phase i.e. the
optical path difference between and is half a wavelength. This is shown in Figure 5.4: the
distance is λ/2.
Here, I am interested in the phase tilt factor associated with each contributing incident vector .
I define a tilted plane that contains Points , and , and is parallel to the tilted phase front that
focuses at Point A (see Figure 5.4). This plane is used as a reference and each phase tilt factor is
expressed against this tilted plane. Henceforth, this tilted plane is referred to as Origin Plane. Each
113 Geometrical analysis of the polarization state in the focal plane

phase tilt factor is derived from the optical path differences between the corresponding Point
and the Origin Plane. The details of these calculations are in Appendix B. Table 5.1 summarizes these
results.
In this analysis, I first look at a radially polarized beam with a planar phase and a radially polarized
beam with a pitch vortex phase. In each case, I derive the polarization state (i.e. Jones vector) at
Point O and at Point A, by summing the contributions from the eight vectors using vectorial
calculations in the Complex Plane.

a)

’ ’ ’

b) ’ ’ ’
λ/2

F Tilted optical axis

Tilted phase front
Origin plane

Figure 5.4: Schematics showing the geometry of the model. (a) Collimated beam profile showing the eight
origin points of the vectors used to model the beam. (b) Side-view of the tilted phase front that
focuses at Point A. To mimic a planar phase front that focuses at Point A, the model uses a set of Jones
vectors that each includes an appropriate phase tilt factor . The phase tilt factors are derived
using the geometrical properties of this model. The derivations are in Appendix B.
Advanced polarization control for optimizing ultrafast laser micro-processing 114

Table 5.1: Optical path difference and corresponding phase tilt factor induced by the phase front tilt,
derived for each vector that focuses at Point A. The derivations are in Appendix B. This table summarizes
the results in Table B.1.

Vectors (all Optical path Phase tilt

difference factor
these vectors
from Origin
focus at Point A)
Plane

0 0

.λ .π

.λ .π

.λ .π

0 0

.λ .π

.λ .π

.λ .π
115 Geometrical analysis of the polarization state in the focal plane

5.4 Model of a radially polarized beam with a planar phase

5.4.1 Vectorial representation

In the case a radially polarized beam with a planar phase, all the polarization vectors within the
beam profile have the same amplitude at any given time. In other words, the amplitude of all these
vectors reaches a maximum at the same time, decreases and reaches a minimum at the same time and
so on (Figure 5.5).

a) b) c)

Figure 5.5: Schematics of the profile of a radially polarized beam with a planar phase, showing the
amplitude of the electric field vectors (a) at a maximum at t=0, (b) at an intermediate value at t=T/8 and (c)
at zero at t=T/4.

5.4.2 Calculation of the Jones vector at Point O for a radially polarized beam with a planar
phase
I first look at the Jones vector produced by a radially polarized beam with a planar phase at Point O,
on the optical axis. I have derived the complex values of the coordinates and for each of the
eight contributing vectors, taking into account the phase structure of the beam (in this case, all the
phase terms are nil). The details of the calculation are in Appendix B. Table 5.2 summarizes the results.
To derive the resulting Jones vector at Point O, I then need to sum the X and Y coordinates of the
eight contributing vectors: ( ; ). I derive these sums geometrically, using the
Complex Plane method. Figure 5.6 shows the vectors plotted in the Complex Plane. Figure 5.6-a shows
all the vectors and . Figure 5.6-b shows the results obtained after summing all the contributing
vectors. Therefore, the vectors plotted in Figure 5.6-b are the X and Y components of the Jones vector at
Point O.
As seen in Figure 5.6-b, the amplitude resulting from summing all the contributing vectors is zero in
both X and Y, so the Jones vector at Point O is ( ; ). From this result, we can conclude that the focal
spot has a zero irradiance amplitude at Point O. This result was anticipated since the contribution from
each vector is compensated by that of another vector of equal amplitude and phase, and opposite
direction (see Figure 5.5).
Advanced polarization control for optimizing ultrafast laser micro-processing 116

Table 5.2: Coordinates of the vectors for a radially polarized beam with a planar phase focusing at Point
O. The derivations are in Appendix B. This table summarizes the results in Tables B.2 and B.3.

Vectors (all
these vectors
focus at Point O)
117 Geometrical analysis of the polarization state in the focal plane

a) Im Im
X Y

Re Re

b) Im Im
X Y

Re Re

Figure 5.6: (a) Complex Planes showing the X and Y components ( and ) of the Jones vectors at
Point O and (b) the resulting Jones vector obtained after summing all the contributing vectors.
Advanced polarization control for optimizing ultrafast laser micro-processing 118

5.4.3 Calculation of the Jones vector at Point A for a radially polarized beam with a planar
phase
The Jones vector produced by the radially polarized beam with a planar phase at Point A is derived by
summing the X and Y components from all the complex vectors . I have derived the complex values of
the coordinates and for each of the eight contributing vectors, taking into account the phase
front tilt. The details of the calculation are in Appendix B. Table 5.3 summarizes the results.
To derive the Jones vector at Point A, I then need to sum the X and Y components of the eight
contributing vectors: ( ; ). Figure 5.7 shows the vectors plotted in the Complex
Plane. Figure 5.7-a shows all the vectors and . Figure 5.7-b shows the results obtained after
summing all the contributing vectors. The vectors plotted in Figure 5.7-b are the X and Y components of
the Jones vector at Point A.
A geometrical calculation in the Complex Plane shows that the amplitude resulting from summing all
the contributing vectors is in X and in Y. It is noted that the results have been normalized
by dividing the amplitude of the sum of all the contributing vectors by the number of contributing
vectors (eight here). Therefore, the Jones vector is ( ; ). This means that, at Point A, the
polarization is linear and its direction is oriented along the X axis (see Figure 5.3-c). In other words, the
polarization vector at Point A is oriented radially (i.e. away from the center).

5.4.4 Discussion
Given the cylindrical symmetry of the optical setup, we can infer that all the points located at the
same distance as Point A from the center Point O will have a polarization vector radially oriented.
Therefore, the focal spot is expected to have a radially polarized component in the annular region
around the optical axis. In the previous section, I found a zero irradiance amplitude at Point O. We can
now conclude that, when focusing a radially polarized beam with a planar phase, the focal spot has a
radially polarized annular structure with a zero amplitude at the center, as shown in Figure 5.8-c.
119 Geometrical analysis of the polarization state in the focal plane

Table 5.3: Coordinates of the vectors for a radially polarized beam with a planar phase focusing at Point
A. The derivations are in Appendix B. This table summarizes the results in Tables B.4 and B.5.

Vectors (all
these vectors
focus at Point A)
Advanced polarization control for optimizing ultrafast laser micro-processing 120

a) Im Im
X Y

Re Re

Im
b) Im

X Y

Re Re

Figure 5.7: (a) Complex Planes showing the X and Y components ( and ) of the Jones vectors at
Point A and (b) the resulting Jones vector obtained after summing all the contributing vectors. It is noted
that the amplitude scale is not the same in (a) and (b).
121 Geometrical analysis of the polarization state in the focal plane

a)

b)

A O A O
A O

c)

A O A O A O

Figure 5.8: (a) Schematics of the profile of a radially polarized beam with a planar phase, showing the
electric field vectors at t=0 (left), t=T/4 (middle) and t=T/2 (right). (b) Side-view showing the beam focusing
at Points O and A, with the resulting electric field vectors at each of these points. (c) Focal spot profile (not
to scale) showing the electric field vectors at t=0 (left), t=T/4 (middle), t=T/2 (right). The amplitude of the
electric field vector is always zero in the center (black dot at O).
Advanced polarization control for optimizing ultrafast laser micro-processing 122

5.5 Model of a radially polarized beam with a vortex phase

5.5.1 Vectorial representation

In the case of a radially polarized beam with a vortex phase, all the Jones vectors within the
annular beam profile do not have the same amplitude at a given time. Figure 5.9 shows schematics of
the polarization vectors of a radially polarized beam with a phase vortex pitch of , for t=0, t=T/8 and
t=T/4. With this type of CVB, there is a constant phase offset between each Jones vector . These phase
offsets are defined as: . Table 5.4 summarizes these phase terms.

a) b) c)

Figure 5.9: Schematics of the profile of a radially polarized beam with a vortex phase pitch of (i.e. a
topological charge of one), showing the amplitude of the electric field vectors (a) at t=0, (b) at t=T/8 and (c)
at t=T/4.

5.5.2 Calculation of the Jones vector at Point O for a radially polarized beam with a vortex
phase
I first look at the Jones vector produced by a radially polarized beam with a pitch vortex phase at
Point O. I have derived the complex values of the coordinates and for each of the eight
contributing vectors, taking into account the vortex phase terms described in Table 5.4. The details of
these calculations are in Appendix B. Table 5.5 summarizes the results.
I then sum the X and Y components of the contributing vectors to derive the Jones vector at Point O:
( ; ). Figure 5.10 shows the vectors plotted in the Complex Plane. Figure 5.10-a
shows all the vectors and . Figure 5.10-b shows the results obtained after summing all the
contributing vectors. The vectors plotted in Figure 5.10-b are the X and Y components of the Jones
vector at Point O.
A geometrical calculation shows that the amplitude resulting from summing all the contributing
vectors is in X and in Y. It is noted that the amplitudes have been normalized by dividing the
amplitude of the sum of all the contributing vectors by the number of contributing vectors (eight here).
The resulting Jones vector is ( ; ), which defines circular polarization. This means the
polarization is circular at Point O.
123 Geometrical analysis of the polarization state in the focal plane

Table 5.4: Phase factors induced by the pitch vortex phase structure of the beam. These phase factors
are also detailed in Table B6, in Appendix B.

Vectors Vortex phase

factors:

0
Advanced polarization control for optimizing ultrafast laser micro-processing 124

Table 5.5: Coordinates of the vectors for a radially polarized beam with a pitch vortex phase
structure focusing at Point O. The derivations are in Appendix B. This table summarizes the results in Tables
B.7 and B.8.

Vectors (all
these vectors
focus at Point O)
125 Geometrical analysis of the polarization state in the focal plane

a) Im Im
X Y

Re Re

b) Im Im

X Y

Re Re

Figure 5.10: (a) Complex Planes showing the X and Y components ( and ) of the Jones vectors at
Point O and (b) the resulting Jones vector obtained after summing all the contributing vectors. It is noted
that the amplitude scale is not the same in (a) and (b).
Advanced polarization control for optimizing ultrafast laser micro-processing 126

5.5.3 Calculation of the Jones vector at Point A for a radially polarized beam with a vortex
phase
I now derive the Jones vector produced by the radially polarized, vortex phase beam at Point A, by
summing the X and Y components of all the complex vectors . As before, I have derived the complex
values of the coordinates and for each of the eight contributing vectors, taking into account the
vortex phase terms described in Table 5.4. The details are in the Appendix B. Table 5.6 summarizes the
results.
I then sum the X and Y components of the contributing vectors to derive the Jones vector at Point A:
( ; ). Figure 5.11 shows the vectors plotted in the Complex Plane. Figure 5.11-a
shows all the vectors and . Figure 5.11-b shows the results obtained after summing all the
contributing vectors and thus the vectors plotted in Figure 5.11-b are the X and Y components of the
Jones vector at Point A.
A geometrical calculation shows that the amplitude resulting from summing all the contributing
vectors is in X and in Y. The resulting Jones vector at Point A is ( ; ). This describes
an elliptical polarization with a strong elongation along the Y axis (Figure 5.3-c), that is, the polarization
vector at Point A is mostly oriented azimuthally (i.e. tangentially from the center).

5.5.4 Discussion
Given the cylindrical symmetry of the optical setup, we can infer that all the points located at the
same distance as Point A from the center Point O have a polarization vector predominantly oriented
azimuthally. Therefore, the focal spot has a dominant azimuthally polarized component in the annular
region around the optical axis. In the previous section, I had found a circular polarization at Point O. We
can now conclude that the profile of the focal spot has a circularly polarized central region and a strong
azimuthally polarized annular region. This is shown in Figure 5.12-c.
127 Geometrical analysis of the polarization state in the focal plane

Table 5.6: Coordinates of the vectors for a radially polarized beam with a with a pitch vortex phase
structure focusing at Point A. The derivations are in Appendix B. This table summarizes the results in Tables
B.9 and B.10

Vectors (all
these vectors
focus at Point A)
Advanced polarization control for optimizing ultrafast laser micro-processing 128

a) Im Im
X Y

Re Re

b) Im Im
X Y

Re Re

Figure 5.11: (a) Complex Planes showing the X and Y components ( and ) of the Jones vectors at
Point A and (b) the resulting Jones vector obtained after summing all the contributing vectors. It is noted
that the amplitude scale is not the same in (a) and (b).
129 Geometrical analysis of the polarization state in the focal plane

a)

b)

A O A O A O

c)

A O A O A O

Figure 5.12: (a) Schematics of the profile of a radially polarized beam with a vortex phase, showing the
electric field vectors at t=0 (left), t=T/8 (middle) and t=T/4 (right). (b) Side-view showing the beam focusing
at Points O and A, with the resulting electric field vectors at each of these points. (c) Focal spot profile (not
to scale) showing the electric field vectors at t=0 (left), t= T/8 (middle) and t= T/4 (right). In the center, the
polarization is circular.
Advanced polarization control for optimizing ultrafast laser micro-processing 130

5.6 Comparison of the beams’ intensity profile at the focal plane

Due to its simplicity, the model cannot predict the full beam intensity profile at the focal plane.
However the experimental results described in Chapter 4 were consistent with Gaussian beam profiles.
In the model described here, I assume that the irradiance profile (or intensity profile) at the focal plane
is indeed Gaussian. The model allows deriving a normalized value of irradiance at Point O, noted and
one at Point A, noted . The ratio illustrates how steep the Gaussian profile is and allows
comparisons between various types of beams. Here, the ratio is derived for a radially polarized
beam with a vortex phase and for a beam with a uniform polarization (i.e. linear or circular) and a planar
phase. The results are compared between these two beams. In this way, I can check if the model can
explain the experimental results described in Section 4.3.5 in Chapter 4.
I first derive the ratio for a radially polarized beam with a pitch vortex phase. The amplitude
of the electric field at any given coordinates (X, Y) in the focal plane is obtained from the Jones vector

coordinates ( ; ) in the following way: . Therefore, the irradiance at that location

is: . At Point O, I have (see results in Section 5.5.2). Hence the

irradiance at Point O is: . At Point A, I have and (see results in
Section 5.5.3). Hence the irradiance at Point A is: . The ratio is .A
Gaussian fit to this irradiance profile is plotted in Figure 5.13 (red curve).
The irradiance obtained with a uniform (i.e. linear or circular) polarized beam at Points O and A, have
been derived in Appendix B, using the same method as described above: the Jones vectors at these
points were derived in the same way as in Sections 5.4 and 5.5; their coordinates ( ; ) were used to
obtain the irradiance. With a uniform polarization, I have and . Here, the ratio is
. A Gaussian fit to this irradiance profile is plotted in Figure 5.13 (blue curve).
The ratio obtained with a uniform polarization is ~55% higher than that obtained with a radially
polarized vortex beam. This suggests that a uniform polarization produces a comparatively steep
Gaussian profile at the focal plane, whereas a radially polarized, vortex beam produces a Gaussian
profile with a lower peak in the center and wider wings around it (see Figure 5.13). These predictions are
consistent with experimental results in Section 4.3.5 in Chapter 4. They explain the variations in the size
of the laser spots obtained with radially polarized, vortex phase beams and linearly polarized beams
with a planar phase at different value of fluence, which were seen in the experiments. These variations
are indeed related to the amplitude profiles of the beams.
It is noted that, in principle, the amplitude of an electric field is expressed in Newton per Coulomb
and the amplitude of an irradiance is expressed in Watts per squared centimeters. However as the
electric field vectors used here are normalized, their absolute amplitude does not have a physical
meaning, only their relative amplitudes are relevant. In the calculation of electric field and irradiance
here, I did not include these units.
131 Geometrical analysis of the polarization state in the focal plane

Figure 5.13: (a) Gaussian fit to the irradiance profiles predicted by the model. The profiles produced by a
radially polarized vortex beam and a linearly polarized beam are plotted in red and blue respectively. At
Point O, the normalized irradiance produced by the vortex beam is 0.5 and that produced by the linearly
polarized beam is 1. At Point A (where the radius is 1 in the chosen scale) it is ~0.17 and ~0.22 respectively.

5.7 Model of azimuthally polarized beams with a planar or a vortex

phase
The model presented here also enables to predict the focal properties of azimuthally polarized
beams. To derive the Jones vectors at the focal plane of azimuthally polarized beams, I apply the same
method as described in Sections 5.4 and 5.5, except that the vectors are azimuthally oriented
(essentially, their X and Y coordinates are swapped compared with the radially polarized beams). Here, I
only detail the results of these derivations.
 Azimuthally polarized beam with a planar phase; component focusing at Point O: The resulting Jones
vector is ( ; ). This means that the focal spot has a zero irradiance amplitude at Point O.
 Azimuthally polarized beam with a planar phase; component focusing at Point A: The resulting Jones
vector is ( ; ). This means that, at Point A, the polarization is linear and its direction
is oriented along the Y axis. In other words, the polarization vector at Point A is oriented azimuthally
(i.e. tangentially to the beam).
 Azimuthally polarized beam with a vortex phase pitch of ; component focusing at Point O: The
resulting Jones vector is ( ; ), which defines circular polarization. This means the
polarization is circular at Point O.
Advanced polarization control for optimizing ultrafast laser micro-processing 132

 Azimuthally polarized beam with a vortex phase pitch of ; component focusing at Point A: The
resulting Jones vector is ( ; ). This describes an elliptical polarization with a strong
elongation along the X axis, that is, the polarization vector at Point A is mostly oriented radially (i.e.
away from the center).

These results are consistent with those obtained with radially polarized beams. Therefore, we can
infer that an azimuthally polarized beam with a planar phase produces an annular focal spot that is
azimuthally polarized. An azimuthally polarized beam with a pitch vortex phase produces a focal spot
polarized circularly in the center and with a dominant radially polarized component in the annular
region around the center.

5.8 Discussion
My model predicts that a radially (azimuthally) polarized beam with a planar phase focuses as an
annular spot with a zero intensity in its center and radial (azimuthal) polarization. These predictions are
in agreement with recent experimental results that used CVBs with a planar phase, focused with a low
NA optic to imprinting LIPSS (U. Klug et al. 2010, see Figure 2.4 in Chapter 2). They are also consistent
with existing models that describe these beams, focused with low NA optics and producing annular focal
spots (see G. Wu et al. 2007). Although the Polarization Mode Converter used in my experiments cannot
produce CVBs with a planar phase (see Chapter 4), modeling these beams enabled me to compare my
model predictions with existing results available in the literature. The consistency between my model
predictions and the results available in the literature in the case of CVBs with a planar phase, gives
confidence that my simplified analytical model describes the focal behavior of the beams accurately. In
the case of CVBs with a vortex phase, there is no consensus in the literature since the focal properties of
these beams depend on the experimental parameters.
My model predicts that a radially polarized beam with a pitch vortex phase produces a Gaussian
type of profile at the focal plane, with a focal spot which is circularly polarized in its central region and
mostly azimuthally polarized in the annular region around its centre. Similarly, an azimuthally polarized
beam with a pitch vortex phase produces a focal spot which mostly radially polarized in the annular
region around its centre. It is noted that the polarization purity at the focal plane is not 100% in this case
as it includes circularly and elliptically polarized regions. Importantly, the model successfully explains the
polarization patterns imprinted with the LIPSS experiments in Chapter 4. The results in Chapter 4
appeared to show an inversion of polarization at the focal plane. The model confirms that the optical
setup indeed induces an inversion in the overall state of polarization at the focal plane compared to the
state of polarization of the collimated beam. It also explains why there are no LIPSS in the center of the
focal spots: the circular polarization prevents their formation in this region (see Figures 4.8, 4.17 and
4.18 in Chapter 4).
The inversion in the dominant state of polarization at the focal plane studied here is related to a
divergence of the phase fronts, which is mainly caused by diffraction effects at the SLM, near the phase
singularity at the optical axis (L. Marrucci et al. 2011). These effects can be minimized by modifying the
experimental setup, for example by adding a 4F correlator (i.e. a telescope with two identical lenses)
after the SLM to minimize the divergence. In this way, it is thought that the inversion in the state of
133 Geometrical analysis of the polarization state in the focal plane

polarization at the focal plane can be avoided. However this analysis gives an insight into how, under
some experimental conditions, diffraction effects can cause an inversion in the state of polarization at
the focal plane of a CVB with a vortex phase. It is thought that diffraction limited focusing optics could
also produce an inversion of polarization (such phenomenon were predicted in H. Kang et al. 2010,
where the focusing properties of a microscopy setup illuminated with radially polarized beams with a
phase vortex were modeled numerically).
It is noted that the model described in this chapter is limited to cylindrical symmetries. Therefore, it
cannot describe the elliptical structures, or the lobes found within laser spots described in Chapter 4
(Figures 4.8, 4.17 and 4.18). Table 5.7 summarizes the focal properties of different types of CVBs.

Table 5.7: Summary of focal properties of different types of CVB.

Uniform CVB with a CVB with a

states of vortex phase planar phase
polarization (topological
with a planar charge of 1)
phase

Intensity Gaussian Widened Annular

profile Gaussian

Polarization No inversion in Inversion in No inversion

structure the state of the state of in the state of
polarization polarization polarization

Polarization ~100% Hybrid ~100%

purity polarization
Advanced polarization control for optimizing ultrafast laser micro-processing 134

5.9 Chapter summary

The chief points of this chapter are outlined below. A more comprehensive discussion of these results
is outlined in Chapter 7.

 I have introduced an analytical model of the experimental setup used in Chapter 4 to produce radially
and azimuthally polarized vortex beams.

 The model is used to predict the focal properties of four types of CVBs, focused with a low NA optic:
radially polarized beams with a planar phase or a vortex phase and azimuthally polarized beams
with a planar phase or a vortex phase.

 The model predicted that a radially polarized beam with a planar phase produces an annular, radially
polarized focal spot. A radially polarized beam with a vortex phase produces a Gaussian intensity
profile with a hybrid polarization: circularly polarized in the center and azimuthally polarized in the
annular region around the center. The Gaussian profile is wider than that produced with a uniform
polarization.

 The model also predicts the properties of focal spots produced with azimuthally polarized beams. A
beam with a planar phase produces an annular, azimuthally polarized focal spot. A beam with a
vortex phase produces Gaussian intensity profile with a hybrid polarization (circular in the center and
radial in the wings).

 The results from the model are consistent with results published in the existing literature in the case
of CVBs with a planar phase.

 The results from the model are also consistent with the experimental results described in Chapter 4.
They explain the patterns or LIPSS and confirm the inversion in the state of polarization at the focal
plane found in the experiments.

 The model clarifies the behavior of radially/azimuthally polarized vortex phase beams focused with
low NA optics. Theoretical studies of this type of optical setups are currently not available in the
literature.
135 Geometrical analysis of the polarization state in the focal plane
Advanced polarization control for optimizing ultrafast laser micro-processing 136

6
Ultrafast laser processing with Cylindrical
Vector Beams

6.1 Introduction
In the previous chapters, I have introduced a Polarization Mode Converter and demonstrated how it
can produce a radial or an azimuthal polarization state at the focal plane of a low NA focusing optic. The
Polarization Mode Converter was studied both experimentally and theoretically, indicating that an
inversion in the state of polarization occurs, i.e. the state of polarization at the focal plane is orthogonal
to that of the collimated beam before the focusing optic. For material processing, only the state of
polarization within the focal region is relevant. Therefore in the processing tests described in this
chapter, I refer to the state of polarization at the focal plane only and not the polarization of the
collimated beam.
In this chapter, the Polarization Mode Converter is used with a high laser beam fluence to micro-
machine stainless steel plates. Recent experimental work (see M. Meier et al. 2007, M. Kraus et al. 2010
or R. Weber et al. 2011) also investigates micro-machining with radial and azimuthal states of
polarization, suggesting that the potential benefits of using these states of polarization are more subtle
than predicted in early theoretical studies (such as V. G. Niziev et al. 1999, for example). Depending on
the material, processing parameters and aspect-ratio of the machined structures, either a radial, an
azimuthal or a circular polarization is most efficient. In particular, Meier et al. 2007 demonstrated
experimentally, using a nanosecond-pulse laser source, that a radial polarization is usually more efficient
than other modes at drilling through 1-3mm thick brass and copper plates, whereas an azimuthal
polarization is more efficient at drilling mild steel plates of similar thicknesses. M. Kraus et al. 2010
compared the efficiency of drilling 0.5-1mm thick steel plates with a radially and an azimuthally
polarized beam, using a picosecond-pulse laser source. It was shown that the azimuthally polarized
beam was more efficient at micro-drilling high-aspect-ratio holes when the plate thickness was above
0.5mm.
The work presented in this chapter focuses on micro-machining 0.2-0.4mm thick stainless steel plates
using a femtosecond-pulse laser source with the Polarization Mode Converter described in earlier
chapters. A comparative analysis of micro-machining with radially, azimuthally, circularly and linearly
polarized beams is carried out. Two types of micro-machining processes are tested: helical drilling and
cutting. In each case, the results are compared between the various states of polarization.
Thanks to the SLM, the state of polarization can be programmed and modified to better suit an
industrial process, without requiring any mechanical rotation of the polarization optics. Hence,
compared with the other methods for producing CVBs used in the experimental work described above,
the Polarization Mode Converter allows further flexibility.
137 Ultrafast laser processing with Cylindrical Vector Beams

6.2 Helical drilling

6.2.1 Aim of the experiment

During a laser micro-machining process such as helical drilling, multiple internal reflections occur
inside the holes. Polarization affects the laser-material energy coupling at each reflection. In this section,
various polarization states (such as radial, azimuthal, circular and linear) are compared with each other
in a helical drilling process. Stainless steel plates are drilled with each polarization state. The resulting
entrance and exit holes are investigated using an optical microscope to compare the process quality and
efficiency in each case.

6.2.2 Experimental setup

The same femtosecond laser processing setup presented in Chapter 4 (see Figure 4.6) was used.
However in the experiments here, a beam expanding telescope with a magnification of two was used to
reduce the fluence at the SLM. This beam expanding telescope was placed before the SLM (Figure 4.6).

6.2.3 Experimental procedure

In these experiments, 380µm thick, type 302 stainless steel plates were drilled with four square holes,
one for each polarization mode (the Polarization Mode Converter was set to produce either a linearly,
circularly, radially or azimuthally polarized focal region). Apart from the polarization state, the same
process parameters were used for each hole so that the results can be compared. Prior to the tests, the
sample surfaces were polished to a 320 grade abrasive grit.
The laser pulse energy was 75µJ, corresponding to a peak fluence of ~24J/cm². This is much higher
than the ablation threshold of stainless steel which is around 0.16J/cm² (P. Mannion et al. 2003). The
laser focal spot diameter was calculated according to the parameters of the optical setup, where
=100mm, =6mm and =1.3 ( was measured with a SPIRICON beam profiler, as detailed in
Section 4.3.6 in Chapter 4). The spot diameter is . Each hole was machined
using a helical drilling process, where the laser beam is continuously scanned along the chosen
geometry for the chosen exposure duration. The beam path geometry was a 120µm sided square and
the exposure duration was 2.5 minutes. The scanning speed was 2mm/s. The sample was placed on a
holder on the multi-axis motion control stage (see Figure 4.6), so that the focal plane lied ~100µm below
the sample top surface.

6.2.4 Results
After processing, the produced holes were analyzed with an optical microscope. The square holes had
an entrance opening of ~220µm and exit opening of ~110µm. The entrance of the holes showed no
dependence on polarization. Optical micrographs of the exit holes, which were affected by polarization,
are shown in Figure 6.1.
 Figure 6.1-a shows the exit of the hole produced with a linearly polarized focal region. The exit hole is
rectangular, elongated in the direction of the polarization vector (125+/-5μm x 80+/-5μm).
Advanced polarization control for optimizing ultrafast laser micro-processing 138

 Figure 6.1-b shows the exit of the hole produced with a circularly polarized focal region. The size of
the hole is 110+/-10μm. Distortions can be seen on the edges of the exit hole.
 Figure 6.1-c shows the exit of the hole produced with a radially polarized focal region. The size of the
hole is 100+/-5μm. The sides of the hole are more regular, with fewer distortions than with the other
modes of polarization.
 Figure 6.1-d shows the exit of the hole produced with an azimuthally polarized focal region. The size
of the hole is 115+/-10μm. Distortions are visible, similar to those produced with a circularly
polarized focal region.

a) b)

100 μm 100 μm

c) d)

100 μm 100 μm

Figure 6.1: Optical micrographs of the exit holes obtained from drilling square holes of in a 380µm thick
stainless steel plate, using a (a) linearly, (b) circularly, (c) radially and (d) azimuthally polarized focal region
(775nm, 160fs pulses, 1kHz repetition rate, laser scanning speed: 2mm/s, pulse energy: 75µJ, duration of
laser exposure: 2.5 minutes per hole). The arrow in (a) indicates the direction of incident polarization.
139 Ultrafast laser processing with Cylindrical Vector Beams

6.2.5 Discussion
The exit holes produced here with a linearly polarized focal region are consistent with the
experimental results presented in Chapter 3. The holes are elongated along the direction of the
polarization vector (Figure 6.1-a). This is due to the laser-material energy coupling being higher along
that direction, where the internal reflections on the sidewalls during machining are p-polarized.
A circularly polarized focal region produced exit holes with distorted edges. It is noted that the
experimental results obtained when drilling with a circularly polarized beam in Chapter 3, showed a
better hole quality (Table 3.2) than here. In Chapter 3, the circularly polarized beam was produced using
a zero-order quarter-waveplate, whereas here the circularly polarized beam was obtained by setting the
SLM to induce a quarter-wave phase shift. An SLM sometimes induces diffraction noise which affects the
beam quality. The distortions seen on the hole exit in Figure 6.1-b are thought to be related to these
SLM-induced diffraction effects.
When drilling with a radially polarized focal region, the internal reflections on the sidewalls of the
hole are mostly p-polarized. This leads to a better absorption of the laser energy and reduces internal
reflections during machining. This also leads to a poorer channelling of the laser energy to the bottom of
the hole, which results in an increased sidewall taper angle and a smaller exit hole (100+/-5μm with a
radial polarization versus 110+/-10μm with a circular polarization). These results are consistent with
those obtained when drilling with p-polarization in Chapter 3 (Table 3.2).
With an azimuthally polarized focal region, the internal reflections on the sidewalls of the hole are
mostly s-polarized. This is expected to increase internal reflections during machining. As these
reflections occur on non-optically flat surfaces inside the hole, they tend to produce an irregular
ablation front and a distorted hole exit. The results in Figure 6.1-d are consistent with those obtained
when drilling with s-polarization in Chapter 3 (Table 3.2).
Overall, these results showed that a radial polarization at the focal plane is best suited for helical
drilling in steel under these experimental conditions. With comparatively fewer internal reflections, the
radially polarized focal region produces the best machining quality albeit with a slightly higher taper
angle. However, it is noted that the comparatively poorer channelling of the laser energy to the bottom
of the hole could reduce the efficiency of drilling with this mode, especially if drilling higher aspect-ratio
holes (i.e. thicker plates) than those studied here.
These results are consistent with M. Meier et al. 2007 and M. Kraus et al. 2010, who studied micro-
drilling high-aspect-ratio holes in 0.5 to 3 mm thick steel plates. They found that an azimuthal
polarization tends to be more efficient at drilling steel plates with a thickness above 0.5mm, whereas a
radial polarization tends to be more efficient at drilling 0.5mm thick steel plates.
Advanced polarization control for optimizing ultrafast laser micro-processing 140

6.3 Micro-cutting

6.3.1 Aim of the experiment

In the experiments described in Section 6.2, I looked at the properties of radial and azimuthal
polarizations for helical drilling, where the ablation front is wider than the laser focal spot. In this
section, I look at micro-cutting, where high-aspect-ratio channels are typically produced with an ablation
front which approximately is of the same size as the laser focal spot. In this case, the small size of the
ablation front could reduce the process efficiency, with multiple reflections inside the channels leading
to a poor channelling of the laser energy to the bottom. To study how polarization influences these
multiple reflections, radially, azimuthally and circularly polarized beams are used to micro-cut stainless
steel plates. The process efficiency and quality achieved in each case are then compared.

6.3.2 Experimental setup

Stainless steel plates (type 302) were machined using the same femtosecond laser processing setup
used for the helical drilling experiments in Section 6.2 and in Chapter 4 (Figure 4.6), and the resulting
cut-outs were studied. This time, the magnification telescope was removed from the beam path to
reduce optical aberrations.

6.3.3 Experimental procedure

Each stainless steel test piece was machined with three square holes, one for each polarization mode
(the SLM mode converter was set to produce either a radially, an azimuthally or a circularly polarized
focal region). Apart from the polarization state, the same process parameters were used for each square
so that the results can be compared. A range of plate thicknesses were used (200µm to 380µm) to give
an insight into the way these polarization modes influence the coupling of the laser energy to the
stainless steel at various depths. The machining tests were repeated using various exposure durations to
compare the efficiency of the cutting.
A laser pulse energy of 75µJ was used (fluence ~24J/cm²). For all the tests, 650µm sided square beam
paths were programmed into the scanning galvanometer and scanned at 5mm/s, as a continuous loop
for the chosen exposure duration. This generated square cut-outs in the centre of the beam path. After
exposure to the laser beam, the stainless steel plate was placed in an ultrasonic bath, so that the
ultrasonic waves would clean and, if the cutting had been successful, remove the central cut-outs. This
method is used to compare the cutting efficiency, the average volume of ablation and the quality of
machining between each polarization state.

6.3.4 Overall cutting efficiency

6.3.4.1 Method
A comparative study of the cutting efficiency achievable with each polarization mode was undertaken
by checking which of the three holes were successfully cut-out from the plate for a given exposure
141 Ultrafast laser processing with Cylindrical Vector Beams

duration. To find out the most efficient polarization mode, I look at which mode produces a hole in the
shortest exposure time.

6.3.4.2 Results
Table 6.1 summarizes these experimental results for all the processing parameters tested. In
summary, a 380μm thick plate was exposed to the beam for 9.5 minutes per hole. Subsequent exposure
to ultrasonic waves successfully removed the cut-outs for all polarization modes. The experiment was
repeated, shortening the laser exposure to 8.5 minutes per hole. In this case, only cut-outs machined
with a radially polarized focal region were removed by the ultrasonic waves. Reducing exposure further
led to the failure of cutting for all polarization modes. These experiments were repeated with a 310μm
thick plate and produced the same results: a radially polarized focal region successfully produced cut-
outs in the shortest exposure duration (8 minutes in this case).
Next, the experiment was repeated with a 200μm thick plate exposed to the laser beam for 4 minutes
per hole. In this case, all the polarization modes produced clear cut-outs. The same plate was processed
again, but with the laser exposure reduced to 3.5 minutes per hole. In that case, the cutting failed for all
the polarization modes. In the case of machining a 200μm thick stainless steel plate, this comparative
study did not single out one of the polarization modes as more efficient than the others.
It is noted that each machining test described here was carried out a number of times with various
durations of exposure. To ensure consistency, the figures for the minimum exposure in Table 6.1 were
averaged between these results.

Table 6.1: Minimum laser exposure required for cutting through stainless steel plates of various
thicknesses. Results based on cutting 650µm square holes using radial, azimuthal and circular polarizations
(775nm, 160fs pulses, 1kHz repetition rate, pulse energy: 75µJ).

Plate Azimuthally Radially Circularly

thickness polarized polarized polarized
focal focal region focal region
region

380μm 9.5 min. 8.5 min. 9 min.

310μm 9 min. 8 min. 8.5 min.

200μm 4 min. 4 min. 4 min.

6.3.4.3 Discussion
These machining tests revealed that a radially polarized focal region is more efficient than a circularly
or azimuthally polarized one for cutting deep structures such as the ones produced in the 310 and
380μm thick stainless steel plates. Under these experimental conditions, a radially polarized focal region
reduces the minimum laser exposure duration by ~5% compared to a circularly polarized one. These
results are consistent with those presented in Chapter 3 (Section 3.5.2): machining with a radially or an
azimuthally polarized focal region produces the same results as machining with p- or s-polarization
Advanced polarization control for optimizing ultrafast laser micro-processing 142

respectively in Chapter 3. However, when the depth of the machined structures is reduced, the
comparative advantage of machining with a radially polarized mode disappears as indicated by cutting
through 200μm thick plates.
The higher efficiency obtained with a radially polarized focal region for machining high-aspect-ratio
channels was predicted theoretically in V. G. Niziev et al. 1999 and confirmed in the experimental
analysis above. This increased efficiency is related to the internal reflections that occur during the
machining of the micro-channels. When the laser beam is radially polarized in the focal region, it
produces internal reflections which are mostly p-polarized. When the focal region is azimuthally
polarized, the internal reflections are mostly s-polarized. With circular polarization, the internal
reflections are an average of p- and s-polarizations. For a typical high-aspect-ratio channel geometry, the
angle of incidence on the sidewalls is around 80˚. The corresponding value for the reflectivity of steel is
around 47% for p-polarization and 94% for s-polarization (S. Nolte et al. 1999). Therefore, the intensity
of light reflected from the walls during the machining is approximately twice as much with an azimuthal
(s-) polarization compared with a radial (p-) polarization. This results in a higher loss of energy through
the exit of the channels machined with an azimuthal polarization. On the other hand, a radial
polarization increases the coupling of the laser beam energy to the sidewalls during the machining,
compared with a circular or azimuthal polarization.
When lower aspect-ratio channels (depth/width < 3) are machined, fewer internal reflections occur
on the sidewalls. The influence of polarization on coupling the laser energy to the work-piece is not so
critical in that case, explaining the similarity in the efficiency of cutting through a 200μm thick plate
between all the polarization modes. This trend was suggested in M. Meier et al. 2007, where the drilling
efficiency through steel plates of various thicknesses above 1mm was compared between several states
of polarization. The same trend is now confirmed for steel plates with a thickness below 1mm: when the
aspect-ratio of the machined structures (i.e. the thickness of the plates) is reduced, the machining
efficiency of the various polarization states converges.
It is noted that, due to the phase vortex of the radially/azimuthally polarized beams, the polarization
purity at the focal plane is not 100%. A residual circularly polarized region is present in the centre of the
focal spots produced with these beams (see Chapter 5). This could reduce the gains in processing
efficiency compared with a homogenous circularly polarized beam. It is thought that using a radially
polarized beam with a planar phase could further increase the efficiency of the process, since such beam
produces a better polarization purity at the focal plane compared with a vortex beam. It is also noted
that the slight difference in the laser spot size between the radially/azimuthally polarized vortex beams
and the circularly polarized one (see Figure 4.7) could also affect the process efficiency. This is discussed
further in the following section.

6.3.5 Ablation efficiency

6.3.5.1 Method
To further investigate the machining efficiency, the overall volume of ablated material was measured
for each polarization mode. The cut-outs removed after machining as described above were imaged
with an optical microscope. Table 6.2 (second row) shows optical micrographs of the sidewall of cut-outs
removed from a 310μm thick stainless steel plate after a 9 minutes exposure to the laser beam per hole.
143 Ultrafast laser processing with Cylindrical Vector Beams

By measuring the cross-sectional area of the sidewalls of the cut-outs, the overall volume of ablated
material can be derived for each polarization mode. Figure 6.2 shows the typical geometry of a cut-out
and the dimensions required to derive the volume of ablated material. The cross-sectional area of the
cut groove is (see Figure 6.2). is the thickness of the sample plate ( =310μm in
the example illustrated in Table 6.2). is the length of a side of the (square) beam path (650µm here).
is the cross-sectional area of a side of the cut-out. It is measured from the optical micrographs,
using the associated imaging software. The volume of ablated material can be derived by multiplying
the cut groove cross-sectional area, , by the overall length of the groove: .

a)

Laser beam
path
Central
cut-out
Plane of
the cross-
section

Area of the cut-out

Area of groove
b) cross-section:
cross-section:
Sample top ACO
AG
surface

Thickness
of sample
plate:
H

Length of
square
cutting:
L
Figure 6.2: Schematic of the geometry of a cut-out from a sample plate after laser exposure: (a) Top view
and (b) Side cross-section.
Advanced polarization control for optimizing ultrafast laser micro-processing 144

Table 6.2: Results of laser cutting square-shaped holes from a 310µm thick stainless steel plate, using radial,
azimuthal and circular polarizations (775nm, 160fs pulses, 1kHz repetition rate, laser scanning speed:
5mm/s, pulse energy: 75µJ, duration of laser exposure: 9 minutes per hole).

Azimuthally polarized focal Radially polarized focal Circularly polarized focal

region region region

Bottom of the
square cut-outs,
showing the exit
grooves
300μm 300μm 300μm

Sidewall of the
square cut-outs
after removal
from sample plate

Surface profile of
sidewalls
Only the area
highlighted in red
(see above) is
displayed. The
colour-coded scale
shows the
distance from an
average mid-
plane, in µm. From
these surface
profiles, the
Roughness
average can be
measured.

Roughness
average (Ra) of
sidewalls
1.0+/-0.4μm 1.0+/-0.7μm 0.9+/-0.4μm
(measured on the
lower half of each
side wall)

Volume of 6 3 6 3 6 3
~19.1 x10 μm ~19.1 x10 μm ~15.8 x10 μm
material ablation

Overall micro-
machining
Lowest Highest Intermediate
efficiency
(see Table 6.1 )
145 Ultrafast laser processing with Cylindrical Vector Beams

6.3.5.2 Results
To ensure consistency in the results and gauge the level of uncertainty in the measurements, several
cut-outs have been machined and measured for each polarization state. When 310μm thick stainless
steel plates were exposed to the laser beam for 9 minutes per hole, a circularly polarized focal region
ablated an average volume of ~15.8x106μm3, while a radially or an azimuthally polarized focal region
both ablated an average volume of ~19.1x106μm3 (see Table 6.2). According to these figures, radially
and azimuthally polarized beams ablated approximately 20% more material than a circularly polarized
one. The difference in ablation efficiency between these beams can be explained with the difference in
the size of the laser spots at the focal plane.

6.3.5.3 Discussion
When the Polarization Mode Converter was used to produce a radially or an azimuthally polarized
vortex beam, the resulting laser spot at the focal plane was wider than that produced with a circularly
polarized planar phase beam (32+/-5μm for linearly/circularly polarized beams versus 40+/-5μm for
radially/azimuthally polarized vortex beams, see Figure 4.7 in Chapter 4). A wider spot increases the size
of the ablation front, enabling a more effective channeling of laser energy inside the machined
structures by avoiding excessive reflections on the sidewalls. The wider spot also facilitates ejection of
the ablated material, which helps to maintain a high ablation rate when machining high-aspect-ratio
structures. The result of these effects is an increased sidewall taper angle. The circularly polarized beam,
which produced a smaller spot at the focal point, ablated comparatively less material and produced a
smaller taper.

6.3.6 Machining quality

6.3.6.1 Method
In order to compare the quality of machining achieved with each polarization mode, the exit grooves
obtained after laser cutting were examined with an optical microscope, prior to removing the cut-outs in
an ultrasonic bath. Once the cut-outs had been removed, their sidewalls were studied using an optical
surface profiling system (i.e. a white light interferometer WYCO NT1100) to examine the surface quality
and measure the Roughness average (Ra).

6.3.6.2 Results and discussion

Table 6.2 (first row) shows optical micrographs of the exit grooves obtained from machining a 310μm
thick stainless steel plate for 9 minutes per hole. It can be seen that machining with a circular
polarization mode produced ripples and filaments on the edges of the exit grooves. An azimuthally
polarized focal region produced a better quality than a radially or circularly polarized one, with fewer
ripples and filaments distorting the shape of the exit grooves. These findings are consistent across the
full range of stainless steel plate thicknesses and exposure times tested here.
In order to check if the ripples and filaments seen on the exit grooves also affect the sidewalls, the
Roughness average, Ra, of the surface of the sidewalls was measured for each cut-out from a 310μm
thick stainless steel plate. To ensure consistency in the results, several cut-outs have been measured
and the results averaged. Ra=1.0+/-0.7μm for a radially polarized focal region, Ra=1.0+/-0.4μm for an
azimuthally polarized focal region and Ra=0.9+/-0.4μm for a circularly polarized one (see Table 6.2). This
Advanced polarization control for optimizing ultrafast laser micro-processing 146

indicates that in terms of surface roughness, the machining quality was similar (within 10%) for all
polarization modes. It is noted that this work is the first to compare the surface roughness of sidewalls
produced from machining with these modes of polarization.

6.4 Chapter summary

The chief points of this chapter are summarized below. A more comprehensive discussion of these
results is outlined in Chapter 7.

 Ultrafast laser micro-machining tests of stainless steel plates with radially and azimuthally polarized
beams were conducted. The results were compared with those obtained when machining using
uniforms states of polarization such as linear or circular.

 In helical drilling, where the ablation front is wider than the laser focal spot, radial polarization in the
focal plane produced the best machining quality, albeit with a slightly higher sidewall taper angle.
This is due to a relatively better absorption of the laser beam energy at the sidewalls, leading to
fewer internal reflections during machining.

 In micro-cutting, the ablation front is typically of a similar size to the laser focal spot. Micro-cutting
was tested with various plate thicknesses. Radial polarization at the focal plane was the most
efficient mode for machining high-aspect-ratio channels (i.e. thicker plates). However for machining
lower aspect-ratio channels (i.e. thinner plates), all the polarization modes had a similar process
efficiency in these experiments.
147 Ultrafast laser processing with Cylindrical Vector Beams
Advanced polarization control for optimizing ultrafast laser micro-processing 148

7
Conclusions

7.1 Introduction
In this thesis, I have investigated novel liquid-crystal-based optical setups for controlling the
polarization of ultrafast laser beams. These new optical setups were used for laser micro-machining
stainless steel work-pieces, aiming to improve the quality and efficiency of the process.
As a first step in the experimental work, some of the optical properties of the new liquid-crystal
devices used in this research were characterized. I then followed two experimental strategies for laser
processing with these liquid-crystal devices: the first using dynamic control of the polarization direction
of a linearly polarized beam and the second using laser beams with cylindrical polarization structures
(i.e. CVBs). Both of these techniques were used to optimize the micro-machining of stainless steel
plates. In this way, I have demonstrated how liquid-crystal-based optical setups can improve laser micro-
processing efficiency and quality. In this chapter, I summarize the results described in the rest of this
thesis and discuss potential future industrial applications and future lines of investigation.

7.2 Innovative techniques for optical diagnostic

As part of the research described in this thesis, novel optical setups were designed to control the
phase and polarization of ultrashort-pulse laser beams. To characterize some of the optical properties of
these new setups, two original diagnostic techniques were used: one for analyzing polarization and the
other for analyzing phase-response under certain experimental conditions.

7.2.1 Method for analyzing polarization

Analyzing polarization in the focal region of a laser processing bench is a notoriously difficult thing to
do. In Chapter 2, I described an original method for analyzing polarization by imprinting LIPSS on
stainless steel samples placed in the focal region of our micro-processing setups. This technique was
used either to imprint the state of polarization of CVBs around the focal region, or to check the direction
of polarization along a beam scanning path.
Producing LIPSS requires applying ultrashort laser pulses to a surface, using laser fluences close to the
ablation threshold of the material. Here, a fluence of 1.8J/cm² was used to produce LIPSS on stainless
steel samples. The orientation of the produced LIPSS is orthogonal to the polarization vectors of the
beam and their pitch is similar to the incident laser wavelength.
This method can be used for analysing a static, uniform state of polarization such as linear or circular
at the focal plane: a linear polarization produces regular, well-defined LIPSS whereas a circular
polarization produces irregular LIPSS oriented in random directions. However, an elliptical polarization
149 Conclusions

state cannot be analysed accurately using this method. Moreover, this method can only analyse the
transverse components of the polarization and therefore it is not accurate for analysing the polarization
in the focal region of a high NA optic.
In spite of these restrictions, this method is very powerful when analysing complex, structured
polarization modes such as CVBs: thanks to the small size of the LIPSS, these structured states of
polarization can be clearly visualized in the focal region. This method can help calibrate a laser bench
that uses CVBs for industrial processing: by producing LIPSS at low fluence, and analysing them prior to
processing the work-piece, the state of polarization in the focal region can be verified.
This method could also be useful to calibrate an industrial laser processing bench that uses a
dynamically controlled polarization, such as in a polarization trepanning process. By imprinting LIPSS on
a sample surface prior to machining the work-piece, the appropriate orientation of polarization in each
region of the scanned geometry can be verified. This can be useful for example when programming a
polarization trepanning processing bench to produce a new laser scanning geometry.

7.2.2 Method for verifying the phase-response of SLMs at high-average-power

SLMs have often been used with low-average-power laser beams in a research environment.
However, their suitability for high-average-power industrial use needed to be confirmed. In Chapter 2, I
described an optical diagnostic technique to check if SLMs can sustain high-average beam powers
without influencing their phase modulation properties.
This was done by programming an SLM to induce a phase grating which splits the beam into a zero-
and first-order laser beam. The resulting diffraction efficiency was used to evaluate the stability of the
phase modulation. A fluctuation of diffraction efficiency as a result of a long exposure to a high-average-
power beam would imply that the phase modulation is affected by the exposure to the beam. Here, the
diffraction efficiency was measured with the SLM exposed to a laser beam with 8W of average power
for 4.5 hours. It was found that the diffraction efficiency fluctuation was less than 4% under these
experimental conditions. This confirmed that the SLMs are suitable for high-average-power industrial
applications. Therefore the results from the experimental work that used SLMs, described in this thesis,
are relevant to industrial users.

7.3 Real-time control of polarization

In Chapter 3, a real-time control of the polarization direction of laser beams was used to improve
micro-machining processes. Prior to testing real-time processes, I demonstrated how a laser beam with
a static state of polarization affects micro-machining.

7.3.1 Influence of polarization on micro-machining

In this thesis, I have shown how the state of polarization of an ultrashort-pulse laser beam influences
its properties for micro-machining a stainless steel work-piece. For example, a laser beam with a static
linear polarization tends to produce strongly distorted geometries. A beam with a circular polarization
tends to produces ripples on the sidewalls of the machined structures.
Advanced polarization control for optimizing ultrafast laser micro-processing 150

The experimental results described in Chapter 3 indicate that the coupling of the laser energy to the
sidewalls of the machined structures is strongly influenced by the local state of polarization in each
region. In the regions of the machined structures where the laser radiation is p-polarized, the coupling
tends to be more efficient, leading to a higher rate of ablation. In the regions where the laser radiation is
s-polarized, the coupling is poorer and most of the laser energy is reflected. This sometimes leads to
laser energy losses through the exit aperture of the machined structures, or distortions due to internal
reflections on non-optically-flat sidewalls. Therefore, a novel method for maintaining the beam at a p- or
an s-polarization state in real-time during machining was investigated. This method was referred to as
polarization trepanning.

7.3.2 Dynamic polarization control for industrial micro-manufacturing

Real-time control of the polarization direction of a femtosecond laser beam was achieved using a fast-
response, liquid-crystal device and this was presented in Chapter 3. Helical drilling and cutting of high-
aspect-ratio microscopic structures of various geometries in a steel plate was tested, using a number of
polarization driving modes such as polarization trepanning. These tests were performed on thin
(~0.4mm thick) stainless steel sheets using a 775nm femtosecond laser at 24J/cm².
The experimental results showed that, when a polarization trepanning process was used to maintain
the laser beam in a p-polarized state in real-time during processing, higher-quality structures were
produced compared with other states of polarization. The sidewall-surface-roughness and edge-quality
of the machined structures were improved significantly, with the dimensions of ripples and distortions
divided by a factor of two. Moreover, a higher processing speed was achieved. For example, micro-
cutting square cutouts with a p-polarized beam required a shorter processing time than a circularly
polarized one. This is thought to be due to the more efficient coupling of the laser energy to the work-
piece with the p-polarized beam.
Existing industrial laser micro-processing systems use a mechanical rotation of polarization optics to
achieve polarization trepanning. However this opto-mechanical method is limited to producing circular
holes and could suffer from undesirable mechanical motion, associated vibrational problems and
maintenance downtime. To our knowledge, the research presented in this thesis was the first to achieve
polarization trepanning using a solid-state device for micro-processing. The fast-response liquid-crystal
polarization rotator presented in this thesis could emerge as a powerful alternative to existing opto-
mechanical devices. As an off-the-shelf item, it can easily provide improved machining quality for
industrial laser systems.

7.3.3 Future work

Future work could investigate micro-machining structures in steel with a higher aspect-ratio than
those studied in this thesis. In this case, a laser beam maintained in an s-polarized state in real-time
during machining could be desirable. When very-high-aspect-ratio micro-structures are machined, the
channeling of laser energy to the bottom of the structures is critical to maintain a high process
efficiency. This channeling could be facilitated by increasing internal reflections during machining. Using
an s-polarized beam would increases these internal reflections since it has a higher reflectivity.
151 Conclusions

Due to its design characteristics, the liquid-crystal device used in this research had an angular rotation
range limited to 90˚ and required a DC-balanced, 50% duty-cycle periodic driving voltage. As a result, the
tests were restricted to machining axi-symmetric features. A potential line of future work could aim to
assess, amongst the wide range of liquid-crystal technologies available, the most suitable ones for
various drilling and machining configurations.
This thesis focused on laser processing work-pieces made of stainless steel. Future work could
investigate how real-time control of the beam polarization direction could improve the machining of
other metals or materials such as semiconductors and dielectrics. Another line of work could consist in
looking at how real-time polarization control could help producing complex, non-circular geometries
such as those produced in a medical stent device. Here the absence of inertia associated with
mechanical motion could enable to flip the direction of polarization at high speed to best suit the
machining process.

7.4 Spatial control of polarization: producing Cylindrical Vector Beams

7.4.1 Principle of a Polarization Mode Converter

In Chapter 4, I have demonstrated a Polarization Mode Converter that uses a liquid-crystal SLM to
produce polarization structures with a cylindrical geometry, or CVBs. The optical setup of the
Polarization Mode Converter was first studied theoretically using a Jones matrix analysis. The analysis
confirmed that each pixel of the SLM enables rotating the direction of polarization between and
radians. As each pixel is independently controllable, the Polarization Mode Converter enables a spatially
dependant rotation of the polarization. By adjusting the rotation induced by each pixel, CVBs (such as
radially and azimuthally polarized beams) can be produced. I have also shown that a residual phase
vortex exists after the Polarization Mode Converter. For example if a radial or an azimuthal polarization
are produced, the residual phase vortex has a pitch. Some of the theoretical results from the Jones
matrix calculations were also confirmed experimentally using a nanosecond-pulse laser test bench.

7.4.2 Experimental analysis of CVBs produced with the Polarization Mode Converter
Chapter 4 describes how the optical setup of the Polarization Mode Converter was then implemented
in a 775nm femtosecond laser micro-processing bench. The Polarization Mode Converter was used to
produce CVBs and the resulting polarization was analyzed with a polarizing filter, demonstrating a
polarization purity better than 84%. The intensity distribution and polarization properties around the
focal point of the micro-processing bench were studied by laser marking the surface of stainless steel
samples at a low fluence of 1.5J/cm², less than ten times the ablation threshold (which is 0.16J/cm² for
stainless steel, see P. Mannion et al. 2003). In particular, the properties of radially and azimuthally
polarized beams were investigated, since these polarizations are expected to be beneficial for material
processing.
By imprinting LIPSS at the surface of stainless steel samples, I was able to map the structure of the
polarization in the focal region and check if the expected states of polarization had been achieved. At
the focal plane the state of polarization was found to be orthogonal to that of the collimated beam
Advanced polarization control for optimizing ultrafast laser micro-processing 152

before the focusing lens, implying that a flip in the state of polarization had occurred. This polarization
flip effect was thought to be caused by the residual vortex phase structure induced with the Polarization
Mode Converter.
The three-dimensional structure of the polarization vectors in the regions around the focal point were
further investigated by imprinting LIPSS above and below the focal plane. The analysis of the produced
LIPSS showed that the polarization vectors “twist” along the optical axis of the focusing optics. This
indicates that the state of polarization varies along the optical axis of the focusing lens. This polarization
“twist” effect is an interesting discovery in the focal properties of CVBs with an orbital angular
momentum. It is expected to affect laser-material interactions with these beams.
The effect of the pitch of the phase vortex induced by the Polarization Mode Converter was also
investigated. I found that changing the vortex pitch affects the laser fluence profile (i.e. the intensity
distribution) at the focal plane. When marking samples, lobes of various sizes are produced as a result.
In summary, I have shown that the Polarization Mode Converter provides a flexible way to control the
intensity distribution and polarization structure in the focal region. As controlling these enables to
optimize laser-material interactions, the Polarization Mode Converter could be a valuable tool for
various industrial laser processing applications.

7.4.3 Analytical model of the CVBs produced with the Polarization Mode Converter
In Chapter 5, an analytical model of the optical setup was used to explain the experimental results
described in Chapter 4. I modeled the optical setup using a geometrical approach to derive the Jones
vectors and assess the state of polarization in the focal plane of the low NA focusing lens. The model
also enabled to assess an approximate fluence amplitude profile in the focal plane. Various types of
beams were studied using the model, including radially and azimuthally polarized beams with a planar
or a vortex phase, and beams with a uniform state of polarization.
The model predicted that a radially polarized beam with a planar phase focuses as a radially polarized
annular spot with a zero intensity in its center. Similarly, an azimuthally polarized beam with a planar
phase focuses as an azimuthally polarized annular spot. These predictions are in agreement with
recently published literature describing the focal properties of radially or azimuthally polarized beams
with a planar phase, focused with low NA optics. This gave me confidence that my simplified analytical
model described the focal behavior of the beams accurately.
In the case of CVBs with a vortex phase, there is no consensus in the literature since the focal
properties of these beams depend on the experimental parameters. My model predicted that a radially
polarized beam with a pitch vortex phase produces a Gaussian type of fluence profile at the focal
plane, with the highest fluence in the central region (i.e. not an annular shaped focal spot). The focal
spot was predicted to be circularly polarized in its central region and mostly azimuthally polarized in the
annular region around its centre. Similarly, an azimuthally polarized beam with a pitch vortex
phasefront was predicted to produce a focal spot mostly radially polarized in the annular region around
its centre. In the focal plane, the beam was predicted to also include circularly and elliptically polarized
regions and therefore the polarization purity obtained by focusing these vortex phase beams was not
100%. When compared with beams with a uniform polarization (and with planar phase fronts), the
radially and azimuthally polarized vortex phase beams were found to produce a lower peak fluence with
a wider beam waist at the focal plane.
153 Conclusions

The model predictions were in agreement with the experimental results described in Chapter 4. In
particular, the model confirmed that the optical setup induces an inversion in the dominant state of
polarization at the focal plane, compared to the state of polarization of the collimated beam.
Overall, this model clarified how the polarization and phase structures of a CVB affect its focal
properties when focused with low NA optics. A specific type of CVBs can be designed to produce the
desired polarization structure and intensity distribution within the focal spot, optimized for a given
processing application. Before CVBs can be used in a wide range of industrial laser processing
applications, a good understanding of their focal properties is necessary. Existing models available in the
literature describe the focusing properties of various types of CVBs. However there is little work
comparing model predictions with experimental data. In particular, very little work has been published
that explains how optical aberrations such as diffraction affect the focal properties of CVBs. The analysis
described here is an interesting case-study into how, under some experimental conditions, diffraction
effects can cause an inversion in the dominant state of polarization at the focal plane of a CVB with a
vortex phase.

7.4.4 Ultrafast laser micro-machining with CVBs

In Chapter 6, radially and azimuthally polarized laser beams were used with a high fluence (24J/cm²)
for micro-machining stainless steel plates. The same femtosecond laser micro-processing system was
used as in Chapter 4 (producing 160fs pulses at a central wavelength of 775nm). A comparative analysis
of micro-machining with radially, azimuthally, circularly and linearly polarized beams was carried out.
In a first experiment, I looked at helical drilling ~0.4mm thick stainless steel plates. In helical drilling,
the ablation front is wider than the laser focal spot. The drilling results showed that a radial polarization
in the focal plane produced the best machining quality, reducing the distortions affecting the edge
quality of the machined structures. This is due to a relatively better absorption of the laser beam energy
at the sidewalls, leading to fewer internal reflections during machining. However, it was found that the
comparatively poorer channelling of the laser energy to the bottom of the hole produced a larger
sidewall taper angle, with a wider entrance cross-section compared to its exit cross-section.
A second experiment looked at micro-cutting 0.2-0.4mm thick stainless steel plates. In micro-cutting,
high-aspect-ratio channels are typically produced with an ablation front which is approximately of the
same size as the laser focal spot. The experimental results showed that a radially polarized beam was
more efficient at drilling and cutting high-aspect-ratio features when the plate thickness was ~0.3mm or
~0.4mm. The gain in processing speed was better than 5% compared with a circularly polarized beam
and better than 10% compared with an azimuthally polarized beam, under the chosen processing
parameters. However the processing speed was similar for all these polarization states (radial, azimuthal
and circular) when machining 0.2mm thick plates. It is noted however that these results were affected
by the limited polarization purity of the beam within the focal spots, as detailed in the previous section.
A radially polarized beam with a higher polarization purity is expected to produce higher gains in
processing speed.
Although there is an increasing interest in laser micro-processing with CVBs, there is still relatively
little publication in this field. Recent experimental work suggested that the actual benefits of using CVBs
for drilling or cutting are more subtle than predicted in early theoretical studies. Depending on the
Advanced polarization control for optimizing ultrafast laser micro-processing 154

work-piece material, processing parameters and aspect-ratio of the machined structures, either a radial,
an azimuthal or a circular polarization is most efficient.
The experimental results described in Chapter 6 give a further insight into this field. Recent
publications available in the literature described micro-drilling high-aspect-ratio holes in 0.5 to 3 mm
thick steel plates, using CVBs. These publications explained that an azimuthal polarization tends to be
more efficient at drilling steel plates with a thickness above 0.5mm, whereas a radial polarization tends
to be more efficient at drilling 0.5mm thick steel plates. The results presented in Chapter 6 clarified the
properties of machining steel plates with a thickness below 0.5mm with these polarization modes.

7.4.5 Future work

7.4.5.1 Optical aberration correction

In the experimental results presented in Chapters 4 and 6, slight optical aberrations affected the
quality of laser micro-processing with CVBs. For industrial laser micro-manufacturing applications where
a very high processing quality is required, these optical aberrations would have to be corrected. Some of
the optical aberrations seen in the experiments were due to the laser source (beam mode, astigmatism).
These aberrations could be removed by using a laser source with a higher beam quality factor.
Some optical aberrations seen in the experiments in Chapter 4 and 6 were induced by the Polarization
Mode Converter. For example, the SLM used in the experiments induced residual phase distortions due
to its active liquid-crystal layers, which are not optically flat. Some, but not all of these distortions were
corrected using a phase correction pattern at the SLM.
Another source of optical aberration was the phase vortex induced by the SLM, which produced a
phase singularity at the optical axis. The pixels of the SLM that were very close to this central phase
singularity induced significant diffraction effects, because of the rapid transverse spatial phase
variations associated with the singularity. These diffraction effects produced a slight divergence of the
beam. It is noted that apart from inducing diffraction, the phase vortex also affected the focusing
properties of the CVBs. In particular it affected the polarization purity and produced an inversion in the
dominant state of polarization at the focal plane.
A potential line of future work could look at improving the optical design of the Polarization Mode
Converter to remove these optical aberrations. For example, adding a second SLM to the Polarization
Mode Converter could improve its optical properties. The second SLM could induce a corrective phase
pattern designed to compensate for the full phase aberrations induced by the non-optically-flat liquid-
crystal layers of both SLMs. Moreover, the second SLM could also be used to compensate for the
residual phase vortex and produce CVBs with a planar phase. This, in turn, would allow improving the
polarization purity at the focal plane. This could be achieved by superimposing a vortex phasefront with
the opposite handedness (i.e. an orbital angular momentum of opposite sign) to the wavefronts of the
CVBs.
Another potential area for improving the experimental setup could be to add a spatial filtering stage
after the Polarization Mode Converter. This can be done by including a 4F correlator with a spatial filter
(i.e. a pin hole plate) at its focal point. Such addition to the optical system of the Polarization Mode
Converter could minimize the diffraction-induced divergence of the beam and produce smaller focal
spots.
155 Conclusions

7.4.5.2 Industrial processing with CVBs

In a laser micro-processing setup, the focal intensity distribution (i.e. the size and shape of the
focused laser spot) is of great importance as it impacts on the quality and efficiency of the process.
When beams with a uniform state of polarization (i.e. linear or circular) are used for micro-processing,
the focal intensity distribution is determined by the optical properties of the setup, such as the
divergence of the laser beam, the NA of the focusing optics, the diffraction induced by all the optics in
the beam path, etc... The state of polarization does not influence the focal intensity distribution in those
cases.
As described in this thesis, CVBs have specific properties which influence the focal intensity
distribution. Industrial applications that could benefit from using CVBs include the surface processing of
organic thin films, for example to produce thin photovoltaic cells or displays. Another application could
be the internal structuring of transparent material such as fused silica or PMMA, to produce optical
waveguides for opto-fluidic devices. Using CVBs could facilitate producing steeper-gradient intensity
profiles, wider depth of focus, or sub-diffraction limited focal spot size to optimize laser-material
interactions and facilitate such expensive processes.
Various industries require producing high-aspect-ratio structures such as vias or channels. For
example these are produced in photovoltaic wafers. CVBs could be used to optimize the coupling of the
laser beam energy at various depths within the structures and for various processing geometries. By
using an appropriate CVB, the intensity distribution and coupling within the depth of high-aspect-ratio
machined structures could be optimized, and a higher process efficiency and quality could be
achievable.
Advanced polarization control for optimizing ultrafast laser micro-processing 156

Appendix A
Derivations supporting Chapter 4

In Chapter 4, the Polarization Mode Converter was analyzed theoretically of using Jones matrices. The
results of geometrical calculations involving Jones vectors were presented. For completeness, I will now
present the details of these calculations.

A.1 Calculation of Jones vectors after the SLM

In the calculations detailed here, we consider a single pixel of the SLM. As detailed in Chapter 4, we
first define a reference coordinate system with horizontal ( ) and vertical ( ) axes, centered on the
optical axis of the laser beam. The location of the pixel of interest in this coordinate system is: ( ).
The direction of the incident linear polarization is set at +45˚ with respect to the horizontal axis. The
Jones vector which defines this incident polarization is:

(B.1)

The pixel of interest induces a phase shift noted . The Jones matrix of the pixel is:

(B.2)

The Jones vector representing the polarization after the SLM is noted . To obtain
we multiply the matrix by the incident Jones vector :

(B.3)

If , we have: . In this case: . The polarization

after the SLM is still linear, oriented at +45˚.
If , we have: . In this case, the resulting polarization is circular.
157 Derivations supporting Chapter 4

A.2 Calculation of Jones vectors after the Polarization Mode Converter

As detailed in Chapter 4, the Jones matrix of the Polarization Mode Converter is contains three terms:

(B.4)

is the Jones matrix of a quarter-waveplate:

(B.5)

is a rotation matrix which changes the reference coordinate system:

(B.6)

The Jones vector representing the polarization after the Polarization Mode Converter is noted
. It is obtained by multiplying the matrix by the incident Jones vector :

(B.7)

To obtain we first multiply the first two terms on the right hand side in Equation (B.7):

(B.8)

We then multiply this result with the third term in Equation (B.7):

(B.9)

We now need to express the result of Equation (B.9) in polar coordinates (see Figure A.1):

(B.10)

We then multiply this result with the fourth term in Equation (B.7):

(B.11)
Advanced polarization control for optimizing ultrafast laser micro-processing 158

We can now express as:

(B.12)

Im

Re

Figure A.1: Complex Plane showing how the Jones vector in Equation (B.10) is converted into polar
coordinates.
159 Derivations supporting Chapter 4
Advanced polarization control for optimizing ultrafast laser micro-processing 160

Appendix B
Geometrical derivations supporting Chapter 5

The model proposed in Chapter 5 describes a CVB using eight polarization vectors equally spread
around the beam profile. In Chapter 5, the results of various geometrical calculations involving these
vectors were used to study the state of polarization at the focal plane of the optical setup. The details of
these geometrical calculations were not described in Chapter 5. For completeness, I will now further
look at these calculations, explaining how the results used in Chapter 5 were obtained. I first explain the
calculation of the phase tilt factor related to each of the eight polarization vectors when focusing a tilted
phase front. Then, I explain the calculation of the complex coordinates for each of the eight Jones
vectors. I will also explain how I derive the vector sums geometrically in the Complex Plane in various
cases of interest.
As a convention, in this appendix I use the following notations:
 is one of the eight electric field (polarization) vectors used in the model to represent the incident
CVBs.
 is the origin point where the vector applies.
 is a geometrical distance, with either a positive or a negative value. It is either named after a letter
(for example ) or defined by two points (for example ).
 is a straight line that contains Point and Point .

B.1 Calculation of the phase tilt factors in the case of a beam that
focuses at Point A
As shown in Figure B.1, each vector originates at a corresponding point in the plane that
contains the active surface of the SLM. For convenience, this plane is referred to as Horizontal Plane
henceforth. As detailed in Section 5.3, we also define an Origin Plane that contains Points , and
and is parallel to the tilted phase front that focuses at Point A (see Figure B.1). Here we are
interested in the distance between each point and its orthogonal projection in the Origin Plane. Once
this distance is known, the corresponding phase tilt factor that applies to each vector can be
derived.
For convenience, we define as the diameter of the beam and as the center of the beam.
Therefore and (see Figure B.1).
We also define Points , and as the orthogonal projections on of Points , and
respectively. Therefore, we have:
(B.1)
161 Geometrical derivations supporting Chapter 5

Thanks to the symmetry of the problem, we have: , therefore we also have:

(B.2)
We define Points , , and as the orthogonal projections on the Origin Plane of Points
, , and respectively. We now apply Thales’s theorem:

(B.3)

We can re-write Equation (B.3) as:

(B.4)

a)

CVB profile showing the origins of the

eight vectors used in the model
’
Horizontal Plane that contains the
active liquid-crystal layer of the SLM

Orthogonal beam, propagating

along the optical axis of the setup

Tilted Origin Plane, used to define the

origin of the phase shifts factors
’
b) Tilted beam, propagating along the
’ tilted axis that focuses at A (Figure 5.3)
’ λ/4 propagation axis
’ Pair of tilted phase fronts that
contain Points and

Pair of tilted phase fronts that

contains Points and

Figure B.1: Schematics showing how the CVB is represented in the model. (a) Front view showing the CVB
profile at the Horizontal Plane (i.e. the plane that contains the active liquid-crystal layer of the SLM). Each
point is the origin of the corresponding vector and is contained within the Horizontal Plane. (b) Side
view showing the Horizontal Plane and the tilted Origin Plane. A phase front parallel to the Horizontal Plane
focuses at Point O (see Figure 5.3). The eight vectors that define this phase front do not include any
phase tilt factor . A phase front parallel to the tilted Origin Plane focuses at Point A. Each of the eight
vectors that define this tilted phase front includes a phase tilt factor that represents the distance
between its origin Point and the Origin Plane.
Advanced polarization control for optimizing ultrafast laser micro-processing 162

As explained in Section 5.3, the tilted phase front is defined so that

We can now replace each term in Equation B.4 with its value:

(B.5)

Thanks to the symmetry of the problem, we also have:

(B.6)
We are interested in the distance between each point and its orthogonal projection in the Origin
Plane. We define this distance as positive when the orthogonal projection falls above the Horizontal
Plane. We define it as negative when it falls below the Horizontal Plane (see Figure B.1). We use the
results above tor express each distance. We also derive the corresponding phase shifts by
multiplying each distance by a factor . Table B.1 summarizes the results.

Table B.1: Optical path difference and corresponding phase term induced by the phase front tilt,
derived for each vector that focus at Point A.

Points (all Geometrical Distance Resulting

these points are expression of the between Point phase tilt
contained within distance between and its factor:
the Horizontal Point and its orthogonal
Plane) orthogonal projection in
projection in the the Origin Plane
Origin Plane

.λ .π

.λ .π

.λ .π

.λ .π

.λ .π

.λ .π
163 Geometrical derivations supporting Chapter 5

B.2 Calculation of the complex coordinates of each Jones vector

I now explain the calculation of the complex coordinates of the Jones vectors under the various
experimental conditions that are relevant to the model.

B.2.1 Radially polarized beam with a planar phase, focusing at Point O

In this case, all the phase terms are equal to zero, since there is no phase vortex or phase tilt. This
means the complex coordinates of all the Jones vectors are real number (i.e. the argument of each
complex value is zero, therefore ). Each complex coordinate is derived by projecting the
vectors on and . For convenience, we define the amplitude for each vector as: .
As an example we derive the complex coordinates of by projecting it on and (see Figure B.2):
(B.7)

(B.8)
The complex coordinates of all the other vectors are derived in the same way. The results are
summarized in Table B.2 for the X coordinates and in Table B.3 for the Y coordinates.

a) b)

O
X

Y
Figure B.2: (a) Schematics showing the beam profile with the eight vectors and (b) the projection of
on and .
Advanced polarization control for optimizing ultrafast laser micro-processing 164

Table B.2: Case of a radially polarized beam with planar phase, focusing at Point O: X components.

Vectors (all these Amplitude term, Phase term, Phase term, Resulting complex
vectors focus at related to the related to the related to the amplitude
Point O) projection of to topological charge phase front tilt
X axis (i.e. vortex
structure) of the
CVB
165 Geometrical derivations supporting Chapter 5

Table B.3: Case of a radially polarized beam with planar phase, focusing at Point O: Y components.

Vectors (all these Amplitude term, Phase term, Phase term, Resulting complex
vectors focus at related to the related to the related to the amplitude
Point O) projection of to topological charge phase front tilt
Y axis (i.e. vortex
structure) of the
CVB
Advanced polarization control for optimizing ultrafast laser micro-processing 166

B.2.2 Radially polarized beam with a planar phase, focusing at Point A

In this case, each vector has a phase terms that includes a phase tilt factor as defined in
Table B.1. For example has a phase term , has a phase term , has a phase
term and so on.
The complex coordinates are derived by projecting each vector on and and including the
appropriate phase factor in the argument. As before, we derive the complex coordinates of vector by
projecting it on and and including the phase factor:

(B.9)

(B.10)
The complex coordinates of all the other vectors are derived in the same way. The results are
summarized in Table B.4 for the X coordinates and in Table B.5 for the Y coordinates.
167 Geometrical derivations supporting Chapter 5

Table B.4: Case of a radially polarized beam with planar phase, focusing at Point A: X components.

Vectors (all these Amplitude term, Phase term, Phase term, Resulting complex
vectors focus at related to the related to the related to the amplitude
Point A) projection of to topological charge phase front tilt
X axis (i.e. vortex
structure) of the
CVB
Advanced polarization control for optimizing ultrafast laser micro-processing 168

Table B.5: Case of a radially polarized beam with planar phase, focusing at Point A: Y components.

Vectors (all these Amplitude term, Phase term, Phase term, Resulting complex
vectors focus at related to the related to the related to the amplitude
Point A) projection of to topological charge phase front tilt
Y axis (i.e. vortex
structure) of the
CVB
169 Geometrical derivations supporting Chapter 5

B.2.3 Radially polarized beam with a vortex phase, focusing at Point O

In this case, each vector has a phase terms that includes a vortex factor defined as: .
Table B.6 summarizes these phase terms.
For example has a vortex phase term , has a vortex phase term , has a
phase term and so on. As before, the complex coordinates are derived by projecting each
vector on and and including the appropriate phase factor in the argument. As an example we
derive the complex coordinates of vector by projecting it on and and including the vortex phase
factor in the argument:
(B.11)

(B.12)
The coordinates of all the other vectors are derived in the same way. The results are summarized in
Table B.7 for the X coordinates and in Table B.8 for the Y coordinates.

Table B.6: Phase terms induced by the vortex phase structure of the beam.

Vectors Vortex phase

0
Advanced polarization control for optimizing ultrafast laser micro-processing 170

Table B.7: Case of a radially polarized beam with a 2π vortex phase, focusing at Point O: X components.

Vectors (all these Amplitude term, Phase term, Phase term, Resulting complex
vectors focus at related to the related to the related to the amplitude
Point O) projection of to topological charge phase front tilt
X axis (i.e. vortex
structure) of the
CVB
171 Geometrical derivations supporting Chapter 5

Table B.8: Case of a radially polarized beam with a 2π vortex phase, focusing at Point O: Y components.

Vectors (all these Amplitude term, Phase term, Phase term, Resulting complex
vectors focus at related to the related to the related to the amplitude
Point O) projection of to topological charge phase front tilt
Y axis (i.e. vortex
structure) of the
CVB
Advanced polarization control for optimizing ultrafast laser micro-processing 172

B.2.4 Radially polarized beam with a vortex phase, focusing at Point A

In this case, each vector has a phase terms that includes a phase tilt factor as defined in
Table B.1, and a phase vortex factor as defined in Table B.6. Therefore, each term is derived by
adding both phase factors: . For example has a phase term , since both phase
factors are nil. has a phase term , has a phase term
and so on.
As before, the complex coordinates are derived by projecting each vector on and and including
the phase factors in the argument. As an example, we derive here the complex coordinates of vector
by projecting it on and and adding the appropriate phase factors in the arguments:

(B.13)

(B.14)
The complex coordinates of all the other vectors are derived in the same way. The results are
summarized in Table B.9 for the X coordinates and in Table B.10 for the Y coordinates.
173 Geometrical derivations supporting Chapter 5

Table B.9: Case of a radially polarized beam with a 2π vortex phase, focusing at Point A: X components.

Vectors (all these Amplitude term, Phase term, Phase term, Resulting complex
vectors focus at related to the related to the related to the amplitude
Point A) projection of to topological charge phase front tilt
X axis (i.e. vortex
structure) of the
CVB
Advanced polarization control for optimizing ultrafast laser micro-processing 174

Table B.10: Case of a radially polarized beam with a 2π vortex phase, focusing at Point A: Y components.

Vectors (all these Amplitude term, Phase term, Phase term, Resulting complex
vectors focus at related to the related to the related to the amplitude
Point A) projection of to topological charge phase front tilt
the Y axis (i.e. vortex
structure) of the
CVB
175 Geometrical derivations supporting Chapter 5

B.2.5 Linearly polarized beam with a planar phase, focusing at Point O

In this case, all the phase terms are equal to zero, since there is no phase vortex or phase tilt. All
the Jones vector have the same coordinates. We choose: and (see Figure B3).
The coordinates of all the vectors are in Table B.11 (X coordinates) and in Table B.12 ( Y coordinates).

Figure B.3: Schematic showing the beam profile with the eight vectors in the case of a linear polarization
oriented along the Y axis.

Table B.11: Case of a linearly polarized beam with planar phase, focusing at Point O: X components.

Vectors (all these Amplitude term, Phase term, Phase term, Resulting complex
vectors focus at related to the related to the related to the amplitude
Point O) projection of to topological charge phase front tilt
X axis (i.e. vortex
structure) of the
CVB
Advanced polarization control for optimizing ultrafast laser micro-processing 176

Table B.12: Case of a linearly polarized beam with planar phase, focusing at Point O: Y components.

Vectors (all these Amplitude term, Phase term, Phase term, Resulting complex
vectors focus at related to the related to the related to the amplitude
Point O) projection of to topological charge phase front tilt
Y axis (i.e. vortex
structure) of the
CVB
177 Geometrical derivations supporting Chapter 5

B.2.6 Linearly polarized beam with a planar phase, focusing at Point A

In this case, each vector has a phase terms that includes a phase tilt factor as defined in
Table B.1. The coordinates of each vector are summarized in Table B.13 (X coordinates) and in Table
B.14 (Y coordinates).

Table B.13: Case of a linearly polarized beam with planar phase, focusing at Point A: X components.

Vectors (all these Amplitude term, Phase term, Phase term, Resulting complex
vectors focus at related to the related to the related to the amplitude
Point A) projection of to topological charge phase front tilt
X axis (i.e. vortex
structure) of the
CVB
Advanced polarization control for optimizing ultrafast laser micro-processing 178

Table B.14: Case of a linearly polarized beam with planar phase, focusing at Point A: Y components.

Vectors (all these Amplitude term, Phase term, Phase term, Resulting complex
vectors focus at related to the related to the related to the amplitude
Point A) projection of to topological charge phase front tilt
Y axis (i.e. vortex
structure) of the
CVB
179 Geometrical derivations supporting Chapter 5

B.3 Vectorial calculation in the Complex Plane

Here, I explain how I derive the Jones vectors at Points O and A by summing all the contributing
vectors geometrically in the Complex Plane.

B.3.1 Radially polarized beam with a planar phase, focusing at Point O

In this case, each vector coordinate or is cancelled out by that of another vector of similar
amplitude and opposite direction in the Complex Plane. For example in Figure B.4, is cancelled out
by , is cancelled out by and is cancelled out by . Therefore, the complex vector
resulting from summing all these contributing vectors is nil. In the same way, the complex vector
resulting from summing all the vector coordinates in Y is also nil. Therefore, the Jones vector produced
with a radially polarized beam with a planar phase focusing at Point O is: . This result implies a zero
amplitude at Point O.

Im Im
X Y

Re Re

Figure B.4: Complex Planes showing the X and Y components ( and ) of the Jones vectors at Point
O.

B.3.2 Radially polarized beam with a planar phase, focusing at Point A

In this case, the sum of all the coordinates in X is derived geometrically. As seen in Figure B.5, we can
sum pairs of vectors to simplify the calculation. For example, and have real parts that cancel
each other out. The sum of these two vectors is an imaginary number:
. In the same way, . We also have

. So overall, we have:
(B.15)
If we normalize this result, we have:
(B.16)
When the sum of all the coordinates in Y is derived geometrically in the Complex Plane, it is found
that each vector coordinate is cancelled out by that of another vector of similar amplitude and
opposite direction. For example in Figure B.5, is cancelled out by , is cancelled out by
Advanced polarization control for optimizing ultrafast laser micro-processing 180

and is cancelled out by . The complex vector resulting from summing all the vector coordinates
in Y is nil. Therefore, the Jones vector produced with a radially polarized beam with a planar phase
focusing at Point A is: . It is noted that this Jones vector defines a linear polarization
oriented along the X axis.

Im Im
X Y

Re Re

Figure B.5: Complex Planes showing the X and Y components ( and ) of the Jones vectors at Point
A.

B.3.3 Radially polarized beam with a vortex phase, focusing at Point O

We now derive the sum of all the contributing vectors in the case of a radially polarized beam with a
vortex phase focusing at Point O. First, the sum of all the coordinates in X is derived geometrically. As
seen in Figure B.6, we can sum pairs of vectors to simplify the calculation. For example, and
have real parts that cancel each other out. The sum of these two vectors is an imaginary number:
. In the same way, . We also have

. So overall, we have:
(B.17)
If we normalize this result, we have:
(B.18)
We also derive the sum of all the coordinates in Y. As seen in Figure B.6, we can sum pairs of vectors
to simplify the calculation. For example, and have imaginary parts that cancel each other out.
The sum of these two vectors is a real number: . In the same way,

. We also have . So overall, we have:

(B.19)
If we normalize this result, we have:
(B.20)
181 Geometrical derivations supporting Chapter 5

Therefore, the Jones vector produced with a radially polarized beam with a vortex phase focusing at

Point O is: 0.5 . It is noted that this Jones vector defines a circular polarization.

Im Im
X Y

Re Re

Figure B.6: Complex Planes showing the X and Y components ( and ) of the Jones vectors at Point
O.

B.3.4 Radially polarized beam with a vortex phase, focusing at Point A

We now derive the sum of all the contributing vectors in the case of a radially polarized beam with a
vortex phase focusing at Point A. First, the sum of all the coordinates in X is derived geometrically. As
seen in Figure B.7, we can sum pairs of vectors to simplify the calculation. For example, and
have real parts that cancel each other out. The sum of these two vectors is an imaginary number:
. In the same way, . We
also have . So overall, we have:
(B.21)
If we normalize this result, we have:
(B.22)
We also derive the sum of all the coordinates in Y. As seen in Figure B.7, we can sum pairs of vectors
to simplify the calculation. For example, and have imaginary parts that cancel each other out.
The sum of these two vectors is a real number: . In the same way,

. We also have . So overall, we have:

(B.23)
If we normalize this result, we have:
(B.24)
Therefore, the Jones vector produced with a radially polarized beam with a vortex phase focusing at

Point A is: . This Jones vector defines an elliptical polarization with a strong elongation along

the Y axis. The axial ratio is 0.25

Advanced polarization control for optimizing ultrafast laser micro-processing 182

Im Im
X Y

Re Re

Figure B.7: Complex Planes showing the X and Y components ( and ) of the Jones vectors at Point
A.

B.3.5 Linearly polarized beam with a planar phase, focusing at Point O

In this case, all the vectors have the same coordinates. In the example shown in Figure B.3, the
coordinates in X of all the vectors are nil and the coordinates in Y are all equal to one. This is shown in
Figure B.8. As a result, the normalized Jones vector produced at Point O is: . As expected, this
represents a linear polarization oriented along the Y axis.

Im Im
X Y

Re Re

Figure B.8: Complex Planes showing the X and Y components ( and ) of the Jones vectors at Point
O.

B.3.6 Linearly polarized beam with a planar phase, focusing at Point A

As before, the sum of the coordinates in X and Y is derived geometrically (see Figure B.9).
(B.25)

(B.26)
The Jones vector at Point A is: . This Jones vector defines a linear polarization oriented
along the Y axis.
183 Geometrical derivations supporting Chapter 5

Im Im
X Y

Re Re

Figure B.9: Complex Planes showing the X and Y components ( and ) of the Jones vectors at Point
A.

B.3.7 Irradiance at focal plane, produced with a linearly polarized beam with a planar
phase
I first derive the irradiance at Point O. As detailed in Chapter 5, the irradiance, noted , is obtained
from the Jones vector coordinates ( ; ): . At Point O, I have and (see
results in Section B.3.5). Hence the irradiance at Point O is: .
At Point A, I have and (see results in Section B.3.6). Hence the irradiance at Point A
is: . The ratio is .
Advanced polarization control for optimizing ultrafast laser micro-processing 184

Appendix C
Abbreviations, acronyms and definitions

C.1 Abbreviations and acronyms

This thesis contains the following abbreviations and acronyms:

CVB Cylindrical Vector Beam

CW laser Continuous Wave laser
DPSS laser Diode-Pumped Solid State laser
FLC Ferroelectric Liquid-crystal
ITO Indium Tin Oxide
LCOS Liquid-Crystal On Silicon
LIPSS Laser Induced Periodic Surface Structures
NA Numerical Aperture
Nd:YAG laser Neodymium-doped Yttrium Aluminum Granet laser
OAM Orbital Angular Momentum
PMMA Poly(Methyl Methacrylate)
SLM Spatial Light Modulator
Ti:Sapphire laser Titanium-doped Sapphire laser

C.2 Definitions
4F correlator A 4F correlator, or 4F telescope, is a system of two identical lenses
separated by a distance equal to twice the focal length
Acousto-optic modulator An acousto-optic modulator uses acousto-optic effects to diffract and
shift the frequency of an incident light beam. It generally uses a
piezoelectric transducer attached to a glass or quartz substrate. The
piezoelectric transducer induces a periodic change in the index of
refraction of the glass or quartz substrate. As a result, the incident light
beam is diffracted into several orders
Anisometry Anisometry is a geometrical property used to describe the shape of
objects such as molecules. An anisometric molecule for example, is a
molecule with strongly elongated along one direction (i.e. a rod-like
molecule) or two directions (i.e. a disc-like molecule)
185 Abbreviations, acronyms and definitions

Anisotropy Anisotropy is the property of being directionally dependent (as opposed

to isotropy, which implies identical properties in all directions)
Axial ratio The axial ratio of an ellipse is the ratio of its short axis over its long axis.
Birefringence Birefringence is the optical property of materials having a refractive
index that depends on the polarization and propagation direction of
light
Continuous wave laser A continuous wave laser is a laser whose beam has a constant power
output (i.e. not a pulsed laser). It is sometimes referred to as CW laser
Diffraction efficiency In this thesis, the diffraction efficiency is defined as the power ratio of a
first-order beam over the full beam power
Ferroelectricity Ferroelectricity is a property of certain materials which have a
spontaneous electric polarization that can be reversed by the
application of an external electric field
Fluence Energy density (J/cm2)
Gaussian function A Gaussian function has a characteristic symmetric bell shaped curve
defined by f(x)=exp(-a.x). A number of physical phenomenons follow a
distribution characterized by a Gaussian function
Gaussian laser beam A Gaussian laser beam has a beam profile whose intensity distribution
follows a Gaussian function: f(x)=exp(-a.x)
Longitudinal mode A longitudinal mode of a resonant cavity is a particular standing wave
confined in the cavity. The longitudinal modes correspond to the
wavelengths of the wave which interfere constructively after many
reflections from the reflecting surfaces of the cavity. Longitudinal
modes are also sometimes referred to as electromagnetic field modes
Nematic liquid-crystal A nematic liquid-crystal is a type of liquid-crystal whit elongated, rod-
shaped organic molecules which self-align to have a long-range
directional order with their long axes roughly parallel
Orbital angular momentum The orbital angular momentum of a light beam is the component of
angular momentum that is dependent on the field spatial distribution
(i.e. dependent on the phase of light and not its polarization)
Saturable absorption Saturable absorption is a property of materials where the absorption of
light decreases with increasing light intensity
Spatial filter A spatial filter is an optical device used to remove aberrations in a laser
beam due to imperfect, dirty or damaged optics. Typically it consists of
a pinhole (i.e. a screen with a small hole) placed at the Fourier plane of
a telescope
Topological charge The topological charge of a light beam is a property of its orbital angular
momentum. It describes the amplitude of orbital angular momentum. It
can be compared with the pitch of a screw thread
Advanced polarization control for optimizing ultrafast laser micro-processing 186

Appendix D
Symbols

The following constants, variables and units have been used throughout this thesis (see also G. Woan,
2000):

D.1 Constants, units and notations

Symbol Description Units

Incidence angle deg
A Cross-sectional area mm²
D Laser beam diameter mm
e Euler's number [~2.718]
E Laser pulse energy J
, Electric / magnetic field vector
, Electric field amplitude N/C
, Electric field amplitude of incident and reflected light N/C
f Focal length mm
F Fluence J/cm²
H Hole depth / cutting thickness mm
Irradiance W/cm²
Unit imaginary (complex) number
Extinction coefficient
Wave vector
L Side-length of beam scanning path mm
λ Wavelength of light nm
Laser beam quality factor
Index of refraction
∆ν Gain bandwidth THz
P Average power W
Polarization purity %
Pi [~3.142]
Amplitude ratios of the reflected to incident electric fields
Reflectivity of light
Ra Surface roughness average μm
187

T Wave period s
τ Temporal pulse-length s
Polar angle rad
Radius at beam waist mm
, , Geometrical points
, Geometrical distances
, Unit vectors along the and axes of a Cartesian coordinate
system

D.2 Variables

Symbol Description
, Electric field vector / Jones vector representing the electric field
Index number
, , Jones matrices
Rotation matrix
Re, Im Real and imaginary parts of a complex number, expressed in Cartesian coordinates
, Amplitude and phase of a complex number, expressed in polar coordinates
, Relative phase delay
Advanced polarization control for optimizing ultrafast laser micro-processing 188

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