Femtosecond laser-induced breakdown in distilled water for fabricating the helical microchannels array.

We have fabricated complex helical microchannel arrays with uniform diameter in silica glass using femtosecond laser-induced breakdown in distilled water. The generated high-speed jet and shockwave cause cavitation damage in silica glass. Distilled water injected into microchannels through a rubber hose is used for effectively ejecting the debris. The low concentration of debris in the ablated area ensure continuously femtosecond laser-induced breakdown. The distribution, coil number, coil diameter and pitch of the helical microchannel arrays can be controlled.