Max Born Institute for Nonlinear Optics and Short Pulse Spectroscopy
Max Born Institute for Nonlinear Optics and Short Pulse Spectroscopy

MBI Staff Member – Personal info

Dr. Alexandre Mermillod-Blondin

alexandre.mermillod(at)mbi-berlin.de
+49 30 6392 1214

A1: Strong Field Processes at Extreme Wavelengths
Building A, 3.18

Position

Member of project 3.2 "Solids and Nanostructures: Electrons, Spins, and Phonons"

Research

The activity of our research group is centered around the direct laser writing of 3d micro-optical systems in solid transparent materials with fs-laser pulses. Our activity is divided in the two topics of (i) Fundamentals of the laser-matter interaction during microprocessing with ultrashort laser pulses and (ii) Direct laser printing of photonic structures with ultrafast laser pulses.

Topic (i) aims at:

  • determining which fundamental mechanisms prevail during plasma formation with ultrashort pulses
  • studying the relaxation processes leading to structural modifications, for instance thermal transients and defect formation.

Topic (ii) deals with the fabrication of functional micro-optical systems, mainly in the bulk of fused silica. The main applications include:

  • Long term data storage
  • Direct part marking under the surface
  • Printing of integrated optical sensors

Curriculum vitae

Since 2015: Principal Investigator on a DFG-funded research project entitled “Micromachining with few-cycle pulses”

2009-: Research associateat the Max-Born Institute, Berlin. Developed, designed and tested advanced optical methods for the characterization of femtosecond-laser induced micro- and nanostructures in the volume of transparent materials: phase-contrast microscopy, quantitative phase-shift interferometry, time-resolved microscopy with random lasers.

2008-2009: Project associateoptics/sensors,Hella Aglaia Mobile Vision GmbH, Berlin. Participated in the development of a front camera for car driver assistance, designed and tested an optical method able to measure the modulation transfer function of the cameras in a production environment.

2007-2008: Research associate,Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA. Developed and characterized a new generation of adaptive optics components based on tunable acoustic lenses. Demonstrated applications in imaging (microscopy, fast zoom lens) and non imaging optics (beam focusing, spatial beam shaping). Promoted devices to investors and users. Participated in device patenting. Technology commercially available (www.tag-optics.com).

MBI Publications

  1. Probing nonlinear excitation conditions: Photoluminescence and nonlinear absorption studies in laser-irradiated dielectrics

    P. S. Sneftrup, P. Jürgens, V. de Michele, J. R. C. Andrade, M. J. J. Vrakking, P. Balling, A. Mermillod-Blondin

     Applied Physics A 130 (2024) 175/1-7
  2. Diagnostics of fs laser-induced plasma in solid dielectrics

    P. Jürgens, C. L. Garcia, P. Balling, T. Fennel, A. Mermillod-Blondin

     Laser & Photonics Reviews online (2024) 2301114/1-22
  3. Linking High-Harmonic Generation and strong-field Ionization in bulk crystals

    P. Jürgens, S. D. C. Roscam Abbing, M. Mero, C. L. Garcia, G. G. Brown, M. J. J. Vrakking, A. Mermillod-Blondin, P. Kraus, A. Husakou

     ACS Photonics 11 (2024) 247-256
  4. Ultrafast meets ultrasmall: Where are the limits of ultrafast waveguide writing?

    O. Ghafur, P. Jürgens, L. Rammelt, A. Mermillod-Blondin

     Ultrafast Laser Nanostructuring, Springer Series in Optical Sciences 239 Springer, Cham (2023) 759–786
  5. Characterization of laser-induced ionization dynamics in solid dielectrics

    P. Jürgens, B. Liewehr, B. Kruse, C. Peltz, T. Witting, A. Husakou, A. Rouzée, M. Y. Ivanov, T. Fennel, M. J. J. Vrakking, A. Mermillod-Blondin

     ACS Photonics 9 (2022) 233–240
  6. Reconstruction of strong-field-driven carrier generation dynamics from injection harmonics in solid dielectrics

    P. Jürgens, B. Liewehr, B. Kruse, C. Peltz, T. Witting, A. Husakou, A. Rouzée, M. Y. Ivanov, T. Fennel, M. J.J. Vrakking, A. Mermillod-Blondin

     Ultrafast Phenomena 2022, Optica Publishing Group, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, Tu4A. 14 (2022)
  7. Origin of strong-field-induced low-order harmonic generation in amorphous quartz

    P. Jürgens, B. Liewehr, B. Kruse, C. Peltz, D. Engel, A. Husakou, T. Witting, M. Y. Ivanov, M. J. J. Vrakking, T. Fennel, A. Mermillod-Blondin

     Nature Physics online (2020) 1-11
  8. Photoinscription of optical microstructures in fused silica with few-cycle pulses

    F. J. Furch, W. D. Engel, T. Witting, A. Perez-Leija, D. Biasetti, G. Torchia, M. J. J. Vrakking, A. Mermillod-Blondin

     SPIE Proceedings Series 11268 (2020) 11268ON/1-6
  9. Study of plasma formation in solid dielectrics with the help of low-order harmonic emission

    A. Mermillod-Blondin, P. Jürgens, B. Liewehr, B. Kruse, C. Peltz, T. Witting, A. Husakou, M. Y. Ivanov, T. Fennel, M. J. J. Vrakking

     SPIE Proceedings 109050O/1-6 (2019)
  10. Plasma formation and relaxation dynamics in fused silica driven by femtosecond short-wavelength infrared laser pulses

    P. Jürgens, M. J. J. Vrakking, A. Husakou, R. Stoian, A. Mermillod-Blondin

     Applied Physics Letters 115 (2019) 191903/1-5