Etching and printing of diffractive optical microstructures by a femtosecond excimer laser

Diffractive optics fabrication is performed by two complementary processing methods that rely on the photoablation of materials by ultrashort UV laser pulses. The spatially selective ablation of materials permits the direct m icroetching of high-quality surface-relief patterns. In addition, the direc t, spatially selective transfer of the ablated material onto planar and non planar receiving substrates provides a complementary microprinting operatio n. The radiation from the ultrashort pulsed excimer laser results in superi or quality at relatively low-energy density levels, owing to the short abso rption length and minimal thermal-diffusion effects. Computer-generated hol ographic structures are produced by both modes of operation. Submicrometer features, including Bragg-type structures, are microprinted onto planar and high-curvature optical-fiber surfaces, demonstrating the unique ability of the schemes for complex microstructure and potentially nanostructure devel opment. (C) 1999 Optical Society of America.