High-irradiance effects in femosecond laser fabrication

Laser micro-fabrication and micro-structuring of materials is usually carried out at the conditions close to the dielectric breakdown. Interplay between multi-photon and avalanche generation of electrons and thermal relaxation become critically important at those conditions in photo-polymerization, waveguide writing in glasses and for creation of new materials at the focal region. Relevant mechanisms of structuring are reviewed and discussed.