Abstract
This project aims to develop a capacity in the country to process materials with ultrashort laser pulses and use this ability to innovative applications. Processing with ultrashort laser pulses is a new technology, still in fundamental studies and technological developments, with very different characteristics from any other processing method for material removal. Because the pulse length of this type of laser is shorter than the electron phonon interaction, one can obtain a process without thermal effects and a machining tool with a diameter less than 1 micron. This tool is thus able to produce structures impossible to obtain with any other method. In addition to tiny structures processed directly on the surface of any type of material, it is also possible processing inside the bulk of transparent materials. Due to extremely high intensities obtained by ultrashort pulses, it is also possible to change the tribological, chemical and physical properties of surfaces. These properties open up new possibilities for processing, with results that are revolutionizing many branches of knowledge. These properties, however, are only possible under well-established and strictly controlled conditions. The use of ultrashort pulses by itself does not assure the production of non-thermal processes, it is also necessary to know with accuracy the dynamics of the interaction of this type of radiation with a given material and get the exact process conditions where this is possible. The group of lasers of IPEN, owns the domain of this technology and, with experience of over 30 years in the field of lasers and their applications, is one who is more prepared to make developments in this area. This project therefore proposes not only developments for the field of processing technology with ultrashort laser pulses, but goes further and proposes several practical applications arising from these developments. These practical applications are focused on the production and use of microfluidic circuits. By using ultrashort pulses in its machining, these circuits are very special with very different characteristics from those that are already produced by other techniques by some groups in the country. They can be produced in any kind of material (dielectric, metal, polymer) with any design and with controlled dimensions that can go up to 1 micron. These circuits may incorporate functional surfaces in specific parts with chemical, physical and tribological properties suitable for a certain type of application. Should also incorporate passive and active optical devices such as waveguides and lasers, to monitor and / or activate processes. These "optofluidics" circuits will then be used in several applications of great interest of the institution and the country. These are applications where IPEN has been working with conventional processes, and has great interest in its miniaturization and higher efficiency. Therefore the project has full support of the institution, has expert staff and adequate infrastructure for each one of the intended cases. (AU)
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