Ultrashort Pulse Laser Cutting of Glass by Controlled Fracture Propagation

Konstantin Mishchik (1) , C Javaux Léger (2) , Ophélie Dematteo Caulier (1) , Stefan Skupin (1) , Benoit Chimier (1) , Clemens Hönninger (3) , Rainer Kling (2) , Guillaume Duchateau (1) , John Lopez (1)

1 CELIA - Centre d'Etudes Lasers Intenses et Applications
2 alphanov
3 Amplitude Systèmes

We demonstrate that the use of low energy but high repetition ultrashort laser systems can be advantageous for glass laser cutting using method of controlled fracture propagation. In specific regime using low numerical aperture objective, elongated zone of energy deposition induces high mechanical stress allowing single-pass full cutting of 1mm-thick soda-lime glass. The crack can follow straight as well as curve trajectories with a radius down to 1 mm with a 1mm/s feedrate. In order to achieve high quality precise control on the fracture propagation we have studied the effects of experimental parameters such as numerical aperture, repetition rate, pulse energy, pulse duration, but also regimes of irradiations by single pulses or bursts.

Mots clés: laser materials processing; ultrashort laser pulses; glass; heat accumulation; glass cutting

Domaines: Optique [physics.optics]; Génie des procédés; Matériaux; Science des matériaux [cond-mat.mtrl-sci]

Konstantin Mishchik, C Javaux Léger, Ophélie Dematteo Caulier, Stefan Skupin, Benoit Chimier, et al.. Ultrashort Pulse Laser Cutting of Glass by Controlled Fracture Propagation. Journal of Laser Micro/Nanoengineering, 2016, 11 (1), pp.12. ⟨10.2961/jlmn.2016.01.0012⟩. ⟨hal-01321979⟩