Optical materials are especially challenging to process with conventional l
asers simply because of their high transparency. We are exploiting two extr
emes in laser technology - ultrafast lasers and very short wavelength Fz la
sers - to microsculpt surfaces and to control refractive index in transpare
nt glasses. These lasers drive fundamentally different interactions, many-p
hoton and 'big' photon, respectively, that offer distinct advantages and li
mitations for shaping photonic devices in fused silica. Comparisons of surf
ace morphology, shock-induced microcracking, resolution, and photosensitivi
ty responses are presented. (C) 2000 Published by Elsevier Science B.V. All
rights reserved.