Multilayer aberration correction for depth-independent three-dimensional crystal growth in glass by femtosecond laser heating

Focused femtosecond lasers are known for their ability to modify transparent materials well below the surface with 3D selectivity, but spherical aberration causes degraded focal intensity and undesirable absorption conditions as focal depth increases. To eliminate such effects we have implemented an aberration correction procedure that accounts for multiple refracting layers in order to crystallize LaBGeO5 glass inside a temperature-controlled microscope stage via irradiation through a silica glass window. The correction, applied by a spatial light modulator, was effective at removing the focal depth-dependent degradation and achieving consistent heating conditions at different depths, an important consideration for patterning single-crystal architecture in 3D. Additional effects are noted, which produce a range of crystal cross-section shapes and varying degrees of partial crystallization of the melt.