Micromodification of element distribution in glass using femtosecond laser irradiation

We report micromodification of Eu element distribution in a silicate glass with femtosecond laser irradiation. Elemental analysis shows that the content of Eu decreased at the focal point and increased in a ring-shaped region around the focal point, which indicates migration of Eu ions has been induced by the femtosecond laser irradiation. Confocal fluorescence spectra demonstrate that the fluorescence intensity of ${\mathrm{Eu}}^{3+}$ ions increased by 20% in the laser-induced, Eu-enriched, ring-shaped region compared with that for nonirradiated glass. The mechanism for the laser induced change in fluorescence properties of ${\mathrm{Eu}}^{3+}$ has been investigated.