Laser-induced breakdown in the eye at pulse durations from 80 ns to 100 fs

摘要

Nonlinear absorption through laser-induced breakdown (LIB) offers the possibility of localized energy deposition in linearly transparent media and thus of non-invasive surgery inside the eye. The general sequence of events - plasma formation, stress wave emission, cavitation - is always the same, but the detailed characteristics of these processes depend strongly on the laser pulse duration. The various aspects of LIB are reviewed for pulse durations between 80 ns and 100 fs, and it is discussed, how their dependence on pulse duration can be used to control the efficacy of surgical procedures and the amount of collateral effects.