Ultrafast Lasers Enabled Optical and Photonic Fabrication and Integration

Dr. Jie Qiao

Associate Professor, Rochester Institute of Technology | Chester F. Carlson Center for Imaging Science

Zoom Virtual Setting

Abstract:  Ultrafast lasers enable non-contact, waste free, and precise material modification and removal, enabling 3D fabrication and integration of photonic devices. This talk presents methods, computational models, physical processes, and demonstrations related to femtosecond laser enabled direct writing of waveguides and waveguide lasers, polishing and micro-joining of optical components.  We demonstrate a novel, patent-pending laser polishing technique for figuring and/or finishing optical substrates using ultrafast laser pulses, with single-digit nanometer surface quality achieved. The figuring capability and resulting optical surface quality demonstrate the viability of ultrafast laser polishing as a novel pathway towards precision finishing of optics. Two temperature and pulse propagation modeling were performed to study the nonlinear femtosecond laser-mater interaction in glass and crystal materials. Femtosecond laser inscribed single-mode waveguides in laser crystal and glass materials, as well as microchip lasers based on such waveguides were achieved. We further demonstrated femtosecond-laser-based bonding of optical substrates for optics integration and hermetic sealing of implants.

Bio:  Jie Qiao is an Associate Professor in the Center for Imaging Science at the Rochester Institute of Technology. She leads the Advanced Optical Fabrication, Instrumentation & Metrology Laboratory where her team works on ultrafast-laser-based photonics / optics fabrication and integration, wavefront sensing and laser beam control. Prior to joining RIT, Dr. Qiao worked on technology innovations for various photonics devices, optical imaging and ultrafast laser systems for two photonic startups, one optics company and the Department-of-Energy-funded Laboratory for Laser Energetics. Qiao earned her Ph.D. in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin and her M.B.A from the Simon Graduate School of Business, University of Rochester. She is an associate editor for Optics Express.