LIQUID OPTICS FOR LASER HOLE DRILLING

WE PROPOSE A NEW LASER MACHINING TECHNIQUE USING NONLINEAR SELFFOCUSING MEDIA SUCH AS CARBON DISULFIDE AND NITROBENZENE. THE TECHNIQUE USES THE CATASTROPIC SELF-FOCUSING SOLUTIONS TO THE NONLINEAR WAVE EQUATION TO PRODUCE INTENSE NON-DIFFRACTING OPTICAL FILAMENTS IDEALLY SUITED FOR PRODUCING SMALL HOLES. THE "LIQUID OPTICS" OFFERS SEVERAL ADVANTAGES OVER CONVENTIONAL OPTICAL FOCUSING: 1) CONSIDERABLY SMALLER HOLES (10-50 MICRONS IN DIAMETER), 2) ELIMINATION OF CONICAL HOLES, 3) A SELF-ADJUSTING OPTICAL SYSTEMS THAT EFFECTIVELY PLACES A LENSE INSIDE THE EVOLVING HOLE, 4) CONFINEMENT OF DRILLING FRAGMENTS, AND 4) LOW COST. WE PROPOSE TO DEMONSTRATE THIS METHOD AT ND:YAG AND RUBY LASER WAVELENGTHS WITH A VARIETY OF METALS AND CERAMICS INCLUDING THE NEWLY DISCOVERED HIGH T(C) SUPERCONDUCTORS. IN ADDITION, A COMPLETE NUMERICAL MODEL INCLUDING NONLINEAR BEAM PROPAGATION AS WELL AS HEAT AND MASS TRANSFER FROM THE HOLE AREA WILL BE UNDERTAKEN ON A CYBER SUPERCOMPUTER AT THE JVNC AT PRINCETON UNIVERSITY.