Dependence of morphology evolution of fused silica on irradiation parameters of CO2 laser

The influence of CO2 laser parameters on the irradiation effect of the fused silica was studied. The morphological characteristics of fused silica treated by a CO2 laser with varying power and frequency were studied experimentally. The properties of the irradiated area were studied by acid etching and hydrophilicity methods in order to verify the effect of CO2 laser irradiation on the SiO2 network. The temperature characteristics of the irradiated region were also calculated using numerical simulations based on experimental parameters. It indicated that the frequency of the CO2 laser plays a key role in the morphology of the irradiated region, and more attention should be focused on the size of the affected zone after laser irradiation in order to fully understand the irradiation process. The good agreement found between numerical simulations and experimental results provides a reference for further research on the application of CO2 laser heating of fused silica.