It is challenging to store the exponentially increasing amount of data in the information age. The multiplexed optical data storage with merits of high data density (hundreds of terabytes/disk), low energy consumption, and long lifetime could open a new era in data storage technology. The recent progress in five-dimensional (5D) optical data storage based on anisotropic nanostructures written by femtosecond (fs) laser pulses in transparent materials reveals its potential for real-world applications, but high writing speed and density remain a major challenge. Here, we propose a method for rapid and energy-efficient writing of highly localized anisotropic nanostructures in silica glass by energy modulated megahertz-rate fs pulses. An isotropic nanovoid is initially generated with pulse energy above the microexplosion threshold and then elongated to an anisotropic nanolamella-like structure via the near-field enhancement effect by lower energy pulses, minimizing the unwanted thermal effects from megahertz-rate fs pulses. The anisotropic nanostructures are exploited for 5D data storage with a rate of 10 6 v o x e l s / s , corresponding to a demonstrated fast information recording of ∼ 225 k B / s and a potentially high-density data storage of ∼ 500 T B / d i s k .

Photosensitivity in nature is commonly associated with stronger light absorption. It is also believed that artificial optical anisotropy to be the strongest when created by light with linear polarization. Contrary to intuition, ultrafast laser direct writing with elliptical polarization in silica glass, while nonlinear absorption is about 2.5 times weaker, results in form birefringence about twice that of linearly polarized light. Moreover, a larger concentration of anisotropic nanopores created by elliptically polarized light pulses is observed. The phenomenon is interpreted in terms of enhanced interaction of circularly polarized light with a network of randomly oriented bonds and hole polarons in silica glass, as well as efficient tunneling ionization produced by circular polarization. Applications to multiplexed optical data storage and birefringence patterning in silica glass are demonstrated.

We review recent progress in femtosecond laser anisotropic nanostructuring of transparent materials, including silica glass and thin films. With different writing parameters, oblate nanopores, single lamella-like structures and nanoripples are demonstrated, which can be used in geometric phase optical elements, space variant polarization converters and multiplexed optical data storage.

Birefringent patterning by ultrafast laser nanostructuring in silica glass has been used for space-variant birefringent optics with high durability and high optical damage threshold. We demonstrate that the oblate-shaped birefringent modification (type X) with ultrahigh optical transmission has higher optical damage resistance, comparable to pristine silica glass. The lower damage threshold of nanogratings based modification (type 2) following thermal annealing at 900°C for an hour is improved from 0.96 J/cm² to 1.62 J/cm² for 300 fs laser pulses and approaches the optical damage threshold of type X (1.56 J/cm²). This opens the door to utilize these optical elements for high power laser applications where optical transmission and damage threshold are the key parameters. The lower damage threshold of type 2 modification is related to the relatively high concentration of defects, such as E’ centers and oxygen-deficiency centers (ODCs).

We report a new, to the best of our knowledge, record power and efficiency for a 946 nm Nd:YAG laser, producing > 110 W ( 5 T W m − 2 s r − 1 ) with a slope efficiency of 80%, with respect to absorbed pump power, and an optical-to-optical efficiency of 74%, with respect to incident power. To achieve this performance, we utilized a closed-cycle acoustic Stirling cryostat to maintain the gain medium temperature at ∼ 80 K and direct in-band pumping with a volume-Bragg-grating stabilized diode laser bar operating at 868 nm. Daily operation, including cycling of the laser crystal temperature, akin to a comparable water-cooled solid-state laser system, is demonstrated.

A comprehensive analytical model for optimization longitudinal pumping of ideal four-level lasers is presented for accurate analysis by removing limiting assumptions on active length and pump-beam radius in the gain medium. By taking into account the circular–symmetric Gaussian pump beam including the $M^2$ factor, an analytical formula for the root mean square of the pump beam in the active medium is developed to relate properties of the gain medium and pump beam to the requirement on efficient optimum design. Under the condition of minimum root mean square of pump-beam radius inside the active medium, the key parameters of the optimum optical coupling system have been analytically derived. Using these parameters, optimum mode size and maximum output efficiency are derived as a function of the gain medium length, absorption coefficient, pump-beam $M^2$ factor, and input power. Dependence of the obtained parameters on the gain medium length, absorption coefficient, pump-beam $M^2$ factor, and input power has been investigated. The results of this theory are found to be more comprehensive than the previous theoretical investigations. The present model provides a straightforward procedure to design the optimum laser resonator and the coupling optics for maximizing the output.