The evolution of color centers produced by fs laser irradiation of soda lime glass was probed at time-scales ranging from μs to hundreds of seconds. By using a suitably chosen probe laser, focused through the fs laser spot, it was possible to follow changes in coloration due to individual or multiple fs pulses, and monitor the evolution of the coloration for long times after the fs laser irradiation had ceased. For soda lime glass, the decay of color centers was well described in terms of bimolecular annihilation reactions between electron and hole centers. A study was made of the fabrication of permanent periodic patterns, in soda lime glass, by using 2 time coincident fs laser pulses.

Point Defect Production by Ultra-Fast Laser Irradiation of Alkali-Containing Silica Glasses and Alkali Halide Single Crystals. S.M.Avanesyan, S.Orlando, S.C.Langford, J.T.Dickinson: Applied Surface Science, 2005, 248[1-4], 129-37