Femtosecond microfabrication of optical memory and photonic crystals

We report application of the laser micro-fabrication technique for realization of 3D optical memories and photonic crystals. Direct laser writing of 3D memories in the silica glass, and their readout by bright field optical imaging, light-induced defect luminescence, and white-fight continuum generation is demonstrated. Combined with a multi-foci microscopy, these techniques may allow to develop novel high-speed optical data storage systems. Direct laser writing of periodic 3D patterns in glass allows to fabricate photonic crystal structures with photonic bandgaps the near-infrared spectral region. Laser micro-fabrication and characteristics of photonic crystals in glass with 2D triangular and 3D diamond lattice types, most promising for the formation of photonic bandgaps, are reported. This technique was also used to fabricate photonic crystals with log-pile lattice in photopolymerizing resins. These structures reveal moderately pronounced photonic bandgaps, and, upon introduction of planar defects, are demonstrated to form planar microcavities with quality factors of about 130.