This article deals with the recent advances in photochemistry in optical materials induced by femtosecond laser pulses. The field of investigation of this paper is limited to bulk solid isotropic transparent materials (glasses and polymers), specifically tailored with photoactive agents. The formation mechanisms of laser-induced color centers, nanoclusters, nanoparticles and nanocrystallites are reviewed and argued, in particular the influence of the temperature during or after the laser irradiation. The relation between the photo-induced structures and the optical property modifications are discussed, as well as some applications.

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Because of the potential impact on agriculture and other key human activities, efforts have been dedicated to the local control of precipitation. The most common approach consists of dispersing small particles of dry ice, silver iodide, or other salts in the atmosphere. Here we show, using field experiments conducted under various atmospheric conditions, that laser filaments can induce water condensation and fast droplet growth up to several μm in diameter in the atmosphere as soon as the relative humidity exceeds 70%. We propose that this effect relies mainly on photochemical formation of p.p.m.-range concentrations of hygroscopic HNO₃, allowing efficient binary HNO₃–H₂O condensation in the laser filaments. Thermodynamic, as well as kinetic, numerical modelling based on this scenario semiquantitatively reproduces the experimental results, suggesting that particle stabilization by HNO₃ has a substantial role in the laser-induced condensation.

Laser-induced glass processing has led to huge progress and applications over the last two decades. Here, we review recent advances in femtosecond laser-induced photochemistry in isotropic transparent oxide glasses specifically tailored with silver photoactive agents. The understanding of the influence of the considered glass matrix on the nature and properties of the created silver species is of prime importance. After presenting the key material properties, the formation mechanisms of laser-induced silver-based species are discussed, and potential technological applications are highlighted. Laser-induced processing of silver-containing oxide glasses paved the way for the fabrication of complex integrated waveguides and optical circuits with innovative fluorescent, nonlinear optical, and plasmonic properties. The universality of the method is expected to extend in any glass material that shows a similar laser-induced behavior in terms of silver cluster production.