Parallel fabrication of spiral surface structures by interference pattern of circularly polarized beams

Abstract

Mass migration of photo-isomeric azo-polymers occurs according to the light intensity gradient, and the morphological surface structure can be fabricated by the artificial distribution of light by applying the interference properties of coherent laser light. Recently, the optical radiation force has played an important role in the morphology for dielectric targets, and chiral structures have been fabricated according to the spirally gathering force distribution that arises due to the electric susceptibility. On the contrary, interference laser processing has been applied to process the surface or interior of the material, and nano- or micro-structures in the lattice have been fabricated in a single exposure to the interference pattern. The unit structures are mostly axisymmetric nanowhiskers, nanodrops and nanobumps, among others. In this experiment, interference laser processing of an azo-polymer dielectric target using a circularly polarised continuous-wave (CW) laser was examined, and a spiral structure was successfully fabricated. From the viewpoint of laser processing method, an optical spiral radiation force was introduced in interference laser processing for the first time.