A Closer Look

Air being ionized by Raydiance, a process similar to that of how lightning forms

Traditional lasers ablate material by heating it; ultrafast lasers rely on a process that is fundamentally electronic. The intense electric field in the femtosecond light pulses strip electrons from the target molecules. This photo-ionization subsequently causes material to be electrostatically ejected from the target without causing any collateral damage to the surrounding areas. Virtually any material—high melting, transparent, organic or inorganic—can be ablated to extremely precise dimensions (a micron or smaller).

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Why is Ultrafast light different?

Traditional Lasers

Traditional lasers, commonly referred to as continuous wave (CW) lasers, emit a steady stream of photons focused on a target. Those photons continue to dump energy into the molecules of the target until they melt, evaporate or burn. Importantly, material surrounding the focus point of the laser also absorbs a lot of heat and can be unintentionally damaged. This is a process called thermal ablation.

Ablation With Long Pulse—Nanosecond and Picosecond—Lasers

When the energy of a laser is delivered in pulses, the strength of the electric field generated by the beam increases significantly. If the intensity is sufficient—meaning the pulse width is short enough— the target molecules begin to be ionized, and, ultimately, are electrostatically ejected, or "ablated." This is called optical breakdown. For long pulse systems, nanosecond and picosecond lasers, ablation is a mix of optical breakdown and a traditional thermal process. Significant heat transfers to and can damage the area surrounding the focal point of the beam.

Ultrafast Lasers—True Athermal Ablation

Ultrafast lasers produce pulses of light less than a picosecond long. The shortness of the pulses ensures that the ablation process is entirely one of optical breakdown; there is no component of thermal ablation. Precise features can be machined in any known material without introducing heat to the sample.