Dynamic Hotspot Migration and Self-Induced Resonances in Ultrafast Laser-Irradiated Silicon Thin Films
Abstract
The spatial distribution of energy in silicon thin films under femtosecond laser irradiation is demonstrated to be influenced by the interaction between carrier-induced refractive index modulation and self-induced Fabry-Pérot resonances. We resolve three characteristic excitation regions such as interface-localized, binodal and multi-nodal regimes considering the analysis of silicon-on-insulator (SOI) configurations across thicknesses of 100, 230, and 350 nm. We report a nonlinear hotspot migration effect where the transient reduction of the refractive index stretches the internal standing wave, translating intensity antinodes toward the film volume during the pulse. Numerical results demonstrate that at higher fluences, plasma-induced extinction suppresses internal reflections, triggering a transition from resonance-mediated absorption to plasma shielding. These findings establish a physical basis for depth-resolved modification in laser nanomanufacturing, providing a dual-capacity for simultaneous surface patterning and depth-resolved subsurface modification with direct applications in laser-assisted interfacial separation and 3D integrated photonic fabrication.
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BibTeX
@misc{tsibidis2026dynamic,
title = {{Dynamic Hotspot Migration and Self-Induced Resonances in Ultrafast Laser-Irradiated Silicon Thin Films}},
author = {George D. Tsibidis and Yi Wang and Emmanuel Stratakis},
howpublished = {arXiv},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.48550/arxiv.2610.25079},
eprint = {2610.25079},
archivePrefix = {arXiv},
url = {https://arxiv.org/abs/2610.25079},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - Dynamic Hotspot Migration and Self-Induced Resonances in Ultrafast Laser-Irradiated Silicon Thin Films
AU - George D. Tsibidis
AU - Yi Wang
AU - Emmanuel Stratakis
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/18
PB - arXiv
DO - 10.48550/arxiv.2610.25079
UR - https://arxiv.org/abs/2610.25079
AB - The spatial distribution of energy in silicon thin films under femtosecond laser irradiation is demonstrated to be influenced by the interaction between carrier-induced refractive index modulation and self-induced Fabry-Pérot resonances. We resolve three characteristic excitation regions such as interface-localized, binodal and multi-nodal regimes considering the analysis of silicon-on-insulator (SOI) configurations across thicknesses of 100, 230, and 350 nm. We report a nonlinear hotspot migration effect where the transient reduction of the refractive index stretches the internal standing wave, translating intensity antinodes toward the film volume during the pulse. Numerical results demonstrate that at higher fluences, plasma-induced extinction suppresses internal reflections, triggering a transition from resonance-mediated absorption to plasma shielding. These findings establish a physical basis for depth-resolved modification in laser nanomanufacturing, providing a dual-capacity for simultaneous surface patterning and depth-resolved subsurface modification with direct applications in laser-assisted interfacial separation and 3D integrated photonic fabrication.
ER -