Self-organized phase-transition lithography for all-inorganic photonic textures

Realizing general processing applicable to various materials by one basic tool has long been considered a distant dream. Fortunately, ultrafast laser-matter interaction has emerged as a highly universal platform with unprecedented optical phenomena and provided implementation paths for advanced manufacturing with novel functionalities. Here, we report the establishment of a three-dimensional (3D) focal-area interference field actively induced by a single ultrafast laser in transparent dielectrics. Relying on this, we demonstrate a radically new approach of self-organized phase-transition lithography (SOPTL) to achieve super-resolution construction of embedded all-inorganic photonic textures with extremely high efficiency. The generated textures exhibit a tunable photonic bandgap (PBG) in a wide range from ~1.3 to ~2 μm. More complicated interlaced textures with adjustable structural features can be fabricated within a few seconds, which is not attainable with any other conventional techniques. Evidence suggests that the SOPTL is extendable to more than one material system. This study augments light-matter interaction physics, offers a promising approach for constructing robust photonic devices, and opens up a new research direction in advanced lithography.