Femtosecond laser-induced damage of dielectrics

Optical damage in non-metals (dielectrics) may severely affect the performance of high-power laser systems as well as the efficiency of optical systems based on nonlinear processes and has therefore been subject to extensive research for some 30 years. The current knowledge of laser-induced optical damage in these materials is reviewed. Emphasis is placed on the recent extension of available experimental data into the femtosecond range. Recent results are presented achieved with a sub-10 fs laser system which explores the limits of time resolution as well as the limit of intensities that a solid can sustain without irreversible damage. It is concluded that sub-10fs laser pulses open up the way to reversible nonperturbative nonlinear optics at intensities greater than 10(14) W/cm(2) (slightly below damage threshold) and to nanometer-precision laser ablation (slightly above threshold) in dielectric materials.