Surface modification of silica glass by pulses of a picosecond laser

An experimental laser system for studying the processes of micro- and nanostructure direct formation in a silica glass by picosecond laser pulses is described. A method of ablation monitoring based on the Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensor is proposed. Ablation craters on the surface of the silica glass varying in depth from 23 ± 4 to 144 ± 18 nm with good edge quality with the power density varying from 0.57 × 1012 to 31 × 1012 W/cm2, respectively, are synthesized. Higher-intensity modes of laser processing lead to the formation of cracks and chips on the surface of the material, with lower-intensity processing leading to the appearance of melting edges. The obtained structures are characterized using an atomic force microscope. The ablation rate of the silica glass is established.