A study of pulsed W laser induced desorption (LID) has been performed on an
Al(111) sample. The positive ion desorption was investigated at low laser
fluence, in a regime in which the ion yield exhibits a highly non-linear de
pendence on the laser fluence. The peak of the kinetic energy distribution
of the desorbed ions has been measured to be about 15 eV. This result is co
nsistent with the conjecture that the ion departing the metal surface can a
cquire a kinetic energy kick from a process associated with plasmon annihil
ation. The Al+ ion kinetic energy peak is asymmetric and about 3 eV full-wi
dth at half-maximum (FWHM). This experiment indicates that plasmon excitati
on can play a significant role in laser stimulated desorption induced by el
ectronic transitions (DIET). (C) 2000 Published by Elsevier Science B.V. Al
l rights reserved.