By: R. Lahoz, L. A. Angurel, M. T. Flores-Arias, G. F. de la Fuente
Instituto de Ciencia de Materiales de Aragón, Unidad Asociada de Óptica y Microoptica GRIN
Laser ablation backwriting has been recently reported useful to induce diverse functionalities in glass. In particular, it has been used to obtain planar waveguides and diffraction gratings which should enable noncomplex and environmentally benevolent miniaturization of elements for integrated optics applications. The quality of the metal-like coatings achieved on glass surfaces has been improved by the use of excellent beam profile diode-pumped Nd:YAG lasers, and may also help achieve electrically conductive coatings with important applications in the transportation and construction industries.