Fabrication of microcapillaries in fused silica using axicon focusing of femtosecond laser radiation and chemical etching

Fabrication of microcapillaries with a diameter of 50 — 80 μm and a length up to 2.5 mm in fused silica by axicon focusing of femtosecond laser radiation and subsequent chemical etching in a 8 % hydrofluoric acid solution is demonstrated. The etching rate is ~6 μm min^-1. It is shown that the microcapillaries have optical waveguiding properties, which testifies to the optical quality of the walls of obtained structures.