Laser ablation processes occurring over several orders of magnitude in time
were investigated by using time-resolved spectroscopy, shadowgraphs and in
terferograms. A picosecond ablation plasma was measured with an electron de
nsity on the order of 10(20) cm(-3) originating from the breakdown of air.
The longitudinal expansion of this plasma was suppressed due to the develop
ment of a strong space- charge field. At post-pulse times, the lateral (rad
ial) expansion of the plasma was found to follow the relation, r similar to
t(1/2), consistent with the expansion from an instantaneous line source of
energy.
The electron number density and temperature were deduced by measuring spect
roscopic emission-line broadening during the early phase (30-300 ns) of a m
ass (atomic/ionic) plasma. These properties were measured as a function of
the delay time and irradiance. Possible mechanisms such as inverse bremsstr
ahlung and self-regulation were used to describe the data before an explosi
on threshold of 20 GW/cm(2). The laser self-focusing and critical temperatu
re are discussed to explain dramatic changes in these properties after the
irradiance threshold.
On the microsecond time scale, the surface explodes and large (> mu m) part
icles are ejected. Mass removed from single-crystal silicon by high power (
10(9)-10(11)W/cm(2)) single-pulse laser ablation is studied by measuring th
e crater morphology. Time-resolved shadowgraph images show that the rapid i
ncrease in the crater depth at the threshold corresponds to large-size drop
lets leaving the surface; This rapid growth of the crater volume is attribu
ted to explosive boiling.