Session 1: Laser Interactions with Glasses

The field of light interaction with matter has attracted increased attention with advances in ultrashort pulse lasers and high-power fiber lasers, along with the need to design and fabricate structures for use in low-loss applications. New phenomena have been observed and new applications have been developed, whereby lasers are employed in diverse areas, such as cutting, welding, and engraving of glass; fabrication of waveguides, gratings and micro-channels inside the bulk of glass; and, most recently, 3D printing through additive or subtractive laser-assisted processing. Lasers have been shown to be versatile in other applications of phase change, whereby glass or amorphous media are “converted” in a controlled way to crystalline or composites (glass ceramics) material. These advances have been realized in optical phase-change materials; laser-induced crystallization, such as seen in the fabrication of active single crystal architecture; and strengthening of glass and other applications, where a knowledge of not only the material but the light/matter interaction mechanism is required. This session will focus on the most recent and advanced issues pertaining to the science and applications of laser–glass interactions, such as laser irradiation effects, compositional and structural changes, and dynamics and mechanisms of laser-induced modifications.

organizers:

• Casey Schwarz, Ursinus College, USA, cschwarz@ursinus.edu
• Keith J. Veenhuizen, Lebanon Valley College, USA, veenhuiz@lvc.edu