Laser-induced switching of GST films using a spatial light modulator

One of the promising materials enabling tuning of optical response in photonic devices is the class of chalcogenide optical phase-change materials (oPCMs), such as GeSbTe (GST). These materials exhibit nonvolatile amorphous  and crystalline phase states under normal conditions, while offering quick (ns-) phase switching and prominent optical contrast, which can be induced via laser irradiation. Direct laser modification of PCM films is usually realized  through a point-by-point approach, by sequentially scanning a focused laser beam over the film surface. Although this technique is straightforward and easy to implement, it significantly limits potential fabrication speeds. In this work,  we study a method of laser-induced switching of the phase state of GST films using a spatial light modulator. We demonstrate that this approach enables fast patterning of large areas of the material.