Pulsed-laser ablation using dynamic computer-generated holograms written into a liquid crystal display

Experimental results of a novel holographic technique for the ablation of m aterial by 40 ns pulses of a ruby laser are shown. Binary phase-only hologr ams written into a liquid crystal display are reconctructed by a lens. We u se a ruby laser to ablate complicated structures in ferric oxide and silico n. The holograms are changed in video real-time by computer addressing with out mechanical motion. Therefore, different patterns can be written into th e material without realignment. The lateral resolution is given by the diff raction limit.