Rewritable and Tunable Laser-Induced Optical Gratings in Phase-Change Material Films

Laser-induced periodic surface structures (LIPSS) can be fabricated in virtually all types of solid materials and show great promise for efficient and scalable production of surface patterns with applications in various fields from photonics to engineering. While the majority of LIPSS manifest as modifications of the surface relief, in special cases, laser impact can also lead to periodic modulation of the material phase state. Here, we report on the fabrication of high-quality periodic structures in the films of phase-change material Ge2Sb2Te5 (GST). Due to considerable contrast of the refractive index of GST in its crystalline and amorphous states, the fabricated structures provide strong spatial modulation of the optical properties, which facilitates their applications. By changing the excitation laser wavelength, we observe the scaling of the grating period as well as transition between formation of different types of LIPSS. We optimize the laser exposure routine to achieve large-scale high-quality phase-change gratings with controllable period and demonstrate their reversible tunability through intermediate amorphization steps. Our results reveal the prospects of fast and rewritable fabrication of high-quality periodic structures for photonics and can serve as a guideline for further development of phase-change material-based optical elements.

Automated summary

Laser-induced periodic surface structures can be fabricated in various solid materials, including phase-change material Ge2Sb2Te5 (GST), which offers strong modulation of optical properties due to its contrasting refractive index in crystalline and amorphous states. By optimizing laser exposure routines, large-scale high-quality phase-change gratings with controllable period can be achieved, demonstrating reversible tunability for applications in photonics. The results indicate the potential for fast and rewritable fabrication of high-quality periodic structures, providing a guideline for further development of phase-change material-based optical elements.