A system for arresting propagation of an incident crack through a transparent material, the system comprising: a laser assembly configured to selectively provide a pulsed laser beam; an optical assembly coupled to the laser assembly, the optical assembly being configured to cause the pulsed laser beam to converge at a focal line, the optical assembly being adjustable such that each focal line is characterized by a dimensional parameter and disposed at a position relative to the optical assembly; a workpiece holder configured to hold the transparent material at a position relative to the optical assembly, the workpiece holder or the optical assembly being configured to provide a relative motion between the transparent material and the optical assembly; and characterised by: a controller coupled to the laser assembly, the optical assembly or the workpiece holder, the controller being configured to calculate or analyze the condition for crack propagation into the interface using the following formula: cos 2 ( θ /2) > K IC / K ICb, where K IC is a fracture toughness for the interface, K ICb is a fracture toughness for bulk material, and θ is the angle between the incident crack and a weaker interface plane, such that a predetermined pattern and a spacing of a plurality of defects are designed to arrest an incident crack that propagates through the transparent material, and to execute instructions representing this corresponding predetermined pattern, the controller being configured to select the dimensional parameter for each pulsed laser beam, the controller being further configured to select the relative motion such that a plurality of the pulsed laser beam forms the plurality of defects corresponding to the predetermined pattern within the transparent material, each defect of the plurality of defects being substantially generated by induced absorption. a laser assembly configured to selectively provide a pulsed laser beam; an optical assembly coupled to the laser assembly, the optical assembly being configured to cause the pulsed laser beam to converge at a focal line, the optical assembly being adjustable such that each focal line is characterized by a dimensional parameter and disposed at a position relative to the optical assembly; a workpiece holder configured to hold the transparent material at a position relative to the optical assembly, the workpiece holder or the optical assembly being configured to provide a relative motion between the transparent material and the optical assembly; and characterised by: a controller coupled to the laser assembly, the optical assembly or the workpiece holder, the controller being configured to calculate or analyze the condition for crack propagation into the interface using the following formula: cos 2 ( θ /2) > K IC / K ICb, where K IC is a fracture toughness for the interface, K ICb is a fracture toughness for bulk material, and θ is the angle between the incident crack and a weaker interface plane, such that a predetermined pattern and a spacing of a plurality of defects are designed to arrest an incident crack that propagates through the transparent material, and to execute instructions representing this corresponding predetermined pattern, the controller being configured to select the dimensional parameter for each pulsed laser beam, the controller being further configured to select the relative motion such that a plurality of the pulsed laser beam forms the plurality of defects corresponding to the predetermined pattern within the transparent material, each defect of the plurality of defects being substantially generated by induced absorption.