Femtosecond laser-induced microstructuring and color centers in silicon carbide

Autor(es)

Cunha, Renan ; de Paula, Kelly Tasso ; Andrade, Marcelo B. ; Pimenta, Ana Clara S. ; Misoguti, Lino ; Mendonca, Cleber R.

• Tipo de documento: Artigo Científico
• Fonte: CERAMICS INTERNATIONAL; v. 51, n. 25, p. 8-pg., 2025-10-01.

Resumo

Femtosecond direct laser writing (fs-DLW) is a precise and adaptable micromachining technique widely used for surface modification and defect engineering. It enables deterministic structuring critical for next-generation technologies and facilitates the study of material properties that are otherwise challenging to determine. Here, we investigate the interplay between incubation effects and defect formation in 4H silicon carbide (4H-SiC) under sub-bandgap irradiation. We analyze surface and subsurface structural changes across three incubation regimes using atomic force microscopy, Raman and photoluminescence spectroscopy. Our results show a pulse number-dependent transition in material redistribution, crystalline phase transitions, and the formation of additional silicon phases. We also identify spectral signatures consistent with room-temperature fs-DLW-induced color centers associated with silicon vacancies currently studied as optically addressable solid-state qubits for scalable quantum photonics. We characterize three scenarios for color center generation and discuss the ionization mechanisms driving material modification. Our findings indicate that multiphoton absorption dominates the optical breakdown. Finally, we estimate the nonlinear absorption cross-section and determine the nonlinear refractive index via nonlinear ellipse rotation measurements. (AU)

• Processo FAPESP: 13/07276-1 - CEPOF - Centro de Pesquisa em Óptica e Fotônica
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