Formation of color centers and light scattering structures by femtosecond laser pulses in sodium fluoride

Modification of sodium fluoride crystal lattice by means of femtosecond laser pulses with λmax=800 nm, energy 0.5 mJ, duration 30 fs and repetition rate 1 kHz has been considered in the paper. Effective formation of simple and complex aggregate color centers and light scattering nanodefects in the channel of a laser beam in NaF crystal have been shown for the first time. Dependences of color centers concentration on the distance between the channel center and its periphery and along the channel have been presented. Influence of external focusing on color centers creation has been revealed. Explanations of the observed phenomena have been presented on the basis of nonlinear processes taking place under the effect of high-intensity femtosecond pulses.