Product Code: ICAL09_M706

Analysis and Application of Micro Shockwave Adjustment using Ultrashort Laser Pulses
Authors:
Peter Bechtold, Chair of Photonic Technologies; USA
Stephan Roth, Bayerisches Laserzentrum GmbH; Erlangen Germany
Michael Schmidt, Friedrich-Alexander-University, Bayerisches Laserzentrum GmbH; Erlangen Germany
Presented at ICALEO 2009

Micro shockwave adjustment is a process mechanism which can be used for highly precise actuator adjustment with bending angle accuracies exceeding 100 nrad in any material. The specific interaction between focussed ultrashort laser pulse and irradiated material allows inducing this process mechanism by ablation with high pulse energy. Within this paper, an analysis based on models of ultrashort laser pulse - material interaction of important laser parameters as peak intensity, pulse energy and wavelength is presented and compared to experimental results. Actuators based on capacitive distance sensing are used to discuss the long-term and thermal stability of this process mechanism. Furthermore virtually free-form mirrors fabricated by micro shockwave bending are presented as another possible application of this process mechanism besides micro adjustment in terms of rapid prototyping of user-defined mirror geometries.