Emission properties of laser ablation of SnO2: Sb transparent conducting film and KTiOPO4 crystal

Optical emission spectra of Nd:YAG laser ablation of KTiOPO₄ (KTP) crystal and SnO₂:Sb transparent conducting thin film were recorded and analyzed in vacuum and in air. The integral intensities of spectral lines from laser-ablated KTP crystal were obtained as functions of distance from the target surface and laser power density in vacuum and in air. The ambient gas effects on pulsed laser ablation of target were discussed. We also performed laser ablation of SnO₂:Sb transparent conducting thin film in air and the electron temperature and full-width at half-maximum (FWHM) of atomic and ionic spectral lines in the plasma were quantified using Boltzmann plot method and Lorentzian fit, respectively. Integral intensities of atomic and ionic Sn spectral lines were also obtained as functions of distance from the target surface and laser irradiance. The intensity ratio of ionic and atomic Sn spectral lines as a function of laser power density was got which gives some information about the variation of ionization ratio with laser irradiance in the plasma produced by high-power laser.     

自由定标激光诱导击穿光谱技术在炉渣成分定量分析中的应用

采用自由定标激光诱导光谱技术(CF-LIBS)对炉渣中几种主要成分(CaO,SiO2,Al2O3,MgO)进行了定量分析.利用Nd:YAG激光脉冲在空气中烧蚀炉渣样品产生等离子体,等离子体光谱由中阶梯光栅光谱仪记录.通过几种主要元素的原子谱线和离子谱线的玻尔兹曼图,计算了等离子体的温度.利用Ca的一条谱线Stark展宽...     

Stochastic heating and acceleration of electrons in colliding laser fields in plasma

We propose a mechanism that leads to efficient acceleration of electrons in plasma by two counterpropagating laser pulses. It is triggered by stochastic motion of electrons when the laser fields exceed some threshold amplitudes, as found in single-electron dynamics. It is further confirmed in particle-in-cell simulations. In vacuum or tenuous plasma, electron acceleration in the case with two colliding laser pulses can be much more efficient than with one laser pulse only. In plasma at moderate densities, such as a few percent of the critical density, the amplitude of the Raman-backscattered wave is high enough to serve as the second counterpropagating pulse to trigger the electron stochastic motion. As a result, even with one intense laser pulse only, electrons can be heated up to a temperature much higher than the corresponding laser ponderomotive potential.     

Electron and phonon relaxation in metal films perturbed by a femtosecond laser pulse

A theoretical investigation of the electron and phonon time-dependent distributions in an Ag film subjected to a femtosecond laser pulse has been carried out. A system of two coupled time-dependent Boltzmann equations, describing electron and phonon dynamics, has been numerically solved. In the electron Boltzmann equation, electron–electron and electron–phonon collision integrals are considered together with a source term for laser perturbation. In the phonon Boltzmann equation, only electron–phonon collisions are considered, neglecting laser perturbation and phonon–phonon collisions. Screening of the interactions has been accounted for in both the electron–electron and the electron–phonon collisions. The results show the simultaneous electron and phonon time-dependent distributions from the initial non-equilibrium behaviour up to the establishment of a new final equilibrium condition. PACS 72.10.-d; 71.10.Ca; 63.20.Kr     

Characteristics of the aluminum alloy plasma produced by a 1064 nm Nd:YAG laser with different irradiances

The plasma generated by 1064 nm Nd:YAG laser irradiation of aluminum alloy in air at atmospheric pressure was studied spectroscopically. The electron density inferred by measuring the Stark-broadened line profile of Si(I) 288.16 nm decreases with increasing distance from the target surface. The electron temperature was determined using the Boltzmann plot method with nine strong neutral aluminum lines. Due to the thermal conduction towards the solid target and radiative cooling of the plasma as well as conversion of thermal energy into kinetic energy, the electron temperature decreases both at the plasma edge and close to the target surface. Electron density and electron temperature were also studied as functions of laser power density. At the same time, the validity of the assumption of local thermodynamic equilibrium and the effect of selfabsorption were discussed in light of the results obtained.     

A New Synthetical Model of High-Power Pulsed Laser Ablation

We develop a new synthetical model of high-power pulsed laser ablation, which considers the dynamic absorptance, vaporization, and plasma shielding. And the corresponding heat conduction equations with the initial and boundary conditions are given. The numerical solutions are obtained under the reasonable technical parameter conditions by taking YBa2CusO7 target for example. The space-dependence and time-dependence of temperature in target at a certain laser fluence are presented, then, the transmitted intensity through plasma plume, space-dependence of temperature and ablation rate for different laser fluences are significantly analyzed. As a result, the satisfactorily good agreement between our numerical results and experimental results indicates that the influences of the dynamic absorptance, vaporization, and plasma shielding cannot be neglected. Taking all the three mechanisms above simultaneously into account for the first time, we cause the present model to be more practical.     

激光诱导等离子体LTE态判定方法研究

针对目前等离子体温度测量中常用的Boltzmann平面法和双线法的测量精度较差的问题,提出结合Boltzmann-Maxwell分布和Saha-Eggert公式来提高等离子温度的测量精度;根据高斯公式的面积与峰值关系建立了发射谱线线宽的简便算法,并通过谱线的Stark展宽计算等离子体的电子密度;建立了以McWhirter准则的等离子局部热平衡(LTE)态判据。以铝为被测样品的实验结果表明,随着激光能量的增加,等离子体温度和电子密度随之呈线性上升趋势;激光能量在127～510 mJ范围内的等离子体电子密度变化范围为1.305 32×1017～1.873 22×1017 cm-3,等离子体温度的变化范围为12 586～12 957 K,根据McWhirter准则本实验中所有等离子体均满足LTE态阈值条件;针对在光谱仪波段内可观测到的处于同一电离态谱线相对较少的铝元素,在不适合用Boltzmann平面法计算温度时,利用Saha-Boltzmann方法对100组铝等离子体光谱进行温度测量的相对标准偏差(RSD)为0.4%,相比于双线法的1.3%,大幅提高了测量精度。该计算方法可用于快速计算等离子体温度、电子密度及判断等离子体LTE态,在自由定标、光谱有效性分析、谱线的温度校正、确定最佳采光位置以及等离子体LTE分布状态等研究中都有较高的应用价值。     

A New Synthetical Model of High-Power Pulsed Laser Ablation

We develop a new synthetical model of high-power pulsed laser ablation, which considers the dynamic absorptance, vaporization, and plasma shielding. And the corresponding heat conduction equations with the initial and boundary conditions are given. The numerical solutions are obtained under the reasonable technical parameter conditions by taking YBa₂Cu₃O₇ target for example. The space-dependence and time-dependence of temperature in target at a certain laser fluence are presented, then, the transmitted intensity through plasma plume, space-dependence of temperature and ablation rate for different laser fluences are significantly analyzed. As a result, the satisfactorily good agreement between our numerical results and experimental results indicates that the influences of the dynamic absorptance, vaporization, and plasma shielding cannot be neglected. Taking all the three mechanisms above simultaneously into account for the first time, we cause the present model to be more practical.     

基于发射光谱法锡等离子体特征参数的求解研究

利用调QNd:YAG 1064 nm激光器诱导产生锡等离子体,基于9条锡发射谱线,构建二维玻尔兹曼图,得到锡等离子体电子温度5063 K,利用洛伦兹函数拟合锡发射谱线Sn(I) 228.66 nm,得到锡等离子体电子密度3.8×10¹⁷ cm^-3,结果证实激光诱导的锡等离子体处于热力学平衡状态.     

脉冲光纤激光修锐青铜金刚石砂轮等离子体特性研究

采用光栅光谱仪 对脉冲光纤激光修锐青铜金刚石砂轮过程中产生的等离子体空间分辨发射光谱进行了测量. 研究了500–600 nm波段范围内的等离子体空间发射光谱强度随激光平均功率和脉冲重复频率的变化情况. 结果表明: 等离子体辐射光谱强度在其径向膨胀方向上距离砂轮表面约2.4 mm处达到最大值. 在局部热力学平衡假设条件下, 根据等离子体中六条铜原子谱线的相对强度, 利用Boltzmann 图法, 计算得到在不同激光功率和重复频 率条件下的等离子体电子温度沿砂轮径向方向的分布规律. 实验结果表明: 在激光修锐青铜金刚石砂轮过程中, 距离砂轮表面约3 mm处等离子体电子温度出现峰值, 其温度最高可达4380 K, 且等离子体电子温度随着激光参数和 空间位置的改变呈现出不同的演变规律. 关键词： 脉冲光纤激光 等离子体发射光谱 激光修锐 电子温度     

Spatial-Resolved Measurement and Analysis of Extreme-Ultraviolet Emission Spectra from Laser-Produced Al Plasmas

Extreme ultraviolet emission from laser-produced A1 plasma is experimentally and theoretically investigated.Spatial-evolution emission spectra are measured by using the spatio-temporally resolved laser produced plasma technique.Based on the assumptions of a normalized Boltzmann distribution among the excited states and a steady-state collisional-radiative model,we succeed in reproducing the spectra at different detection positions,which are in good agreement with experiments.The decay curves about the electron temperature and electron density,as well as the fractions of individual A1 ions and average ionization stage with increasing the detection distance are obtained by comparison with the experimental measurements.These parameters are critical points for deeply understanding the expanding and cooling of laser produced plasmas in vacuum.     

Characterization of laser-generated silicon plasma

A study of visible laser ablation of silicon, in vacuum, by using 3 ns Nd:YAG laser radiation is reported. Nanosecond pulsed ablation, at an intensity of the order of 10¹⁰ W/cm², produces high non-isotropic emission of neutrals and ionic species. Mass quadrupole spectrometry, coupled to electrostatic ion deflection, allows estimation of the energy distributions of the emitted species from plasma. Neutrals show typical Boltzmann-like distributions while ions show Coulomb-Boltzmann-shifted distributions depending on their charge state. Time-of-flight measurements were also performed by using an ion collector consisting of a collimated Faraday cup placed along the normal to the target surface. Surface profiles of the craters, created by the laser radiation absorption, permitted to study the ablation threshold and ablation yields of silicon in vacuum. The plasma fractional ionization, temperature and density were evaluated by the experimental data. A special regard is given to the ion acceleration process occurring inside the plasma due to the high electrical field generated at the non-equilibrium plasma conditions. The angular distribution of the neutral and ion species is discussed.     

1064 nm Nd:YAG激光诱导铁等离子体特征参数的研究

利用1064 nm Nd:YAG激光器研究了激光诱导铁条等离子体的特征参数。为了减小测量误差和谱线自发辐射跃迁几率不确定性带来的计算误差,采用改进的迭代Boltzmann方法精确求解铁等离子体的电子温度为8058 K。Lorentz函数拟合Fe I 376.553 nm得到等离子体的电子数密度为8.71017 cm-3。分析表明等离子体的加热机制主要是逆轫致过程,其吸收系数是0.14 cm-1。实验数据证实激光诱导铁等离子体处于局部热力学平衡状态和光学薄状态。     

透镜到靶材的距离对脉冲激光诱导等离子体的影响机理研究

采用高功率抽运调Q激光器分别在真空和空气中烧蚀Ti-Al合金靶材激发等离子体,研究了在不同气体压强下透镜到靶材的距离对等离子体参数的影响机理对于焦距为111mm的聚焦透镜,当透镜到靶材距离小于透镜焦距时,随着距离逐渐接近焦距,真空和空气中电子温度、电子密度和谱线强度均逐渐增强.当透镜到靶材距离大于透镜焦距时,真空中,电子温度和电子密度仍然继续升高,而谱线强度却变化不大.空气中,等离子体参数却有不同的演化特性:等离子体的电子温度、电子密度和谱线强度在透镜到靶材距离为107 mm时达到最大值,当距离继续增大时,均呈现出迅速下降的趋势,当透镜到靶材距离大于112mm时,电子温度和电子密度又有明显上升,特征谱线强度却大幅下降.     

纳秒激光诱导紫铜黄铜等离子体特征参数的对比研究

基于1064 nm Nd:YAG激光器,对比研究了紫铜和黄铜等离子的特征参数。洛仑兹函数拟合Cu I 324.75 nm得到紫铜和黄铜等离子体的电子密度分别是3.61017 cm-3和3.31017 cm-3。为了减小谱线自发辐射跃迁几率不确定性和测量误差带来的计算误差,采用改进型迭代玻耳兹曼算法精确求解紫铜等离子体和黄铜等离子体的电子温度分别是6316 K和6051 K,分析表明,两种等离子体特征参数的差异主要是由于黄铜中的锌元素的电离能（9.39 eV）大于铜元素的电离能（7.72 eV）而造成的。实验数据证实激光诱导的紫铜和黄铜等离子体满足局部热力学平衡模型和光学薄模型。     

Carbon-plasma produced in vacuum by 532 nm-3 ns laser pulses ablation

A study of VIS laser ablation of graphite, in vacuum, by using 3 ns Nd:YAG laser radiation is reported. Nanosecond pulsed ablation gives an emission mass spectrum attributable to C_n neutral and charged particles. Mass quadrupole spectroscopy, associated to electrostatic ion deflection, allows estimation of the velocity distributions of several of these emitting species within the plume as a function of the incident laser fluence. Time gated plume imaging and microscopy measurements have been used to study the plasma composition and the deposition of thin carbon films. The multi-component structure of the plume emission is rationalized in terms of charge state, ions temperature and neutrals temperature. A special regard is given to the ion acceleration process occurring inside the plasma due to the high electrical field generated in the non-equilibrium plasma conditions. The use of nanosecond laser pulses, at fluences below 10 J/cm², produces interesting C-atomic emission effects, as a high ablation yield, a high fractional ionization of the plasma and presence of nanostructures deposited on near substrates.     

Three-dimensional dynamics of breakout afterburner ion acceleration using high-contrast short-pulse laser and nanoscale targets

Breakout afterburner (BOA) laser-ion acceleration has been demonstrated for the first time in the laboratory. In the BOA, an initially solid-density target undergoes relativistically induced transparency, initiating a period of enhanced ion acceleration. First-ever kinetic simulations of the BOA in three dimensions show that the ion beam forms lobes in the direction orthogonal to laser polarization and propagation. Analytic theory presented for the electron dynamics in the laser ponderomotive field explains how azimuthal symmetry breaks even for a symmetric laser intensity profile; these results are consistent with recent experiments at the Trident laser facility.     

Particle dynamics during adiabatic expansion of a plasma bunch

The renormalization-group approach is used to obtain an exact solution to the self-consistent Vlasov kinetic equations for plasma particles in the quasi-neutral approximation. This solution describes the one-dimensional adiabatic expansion of a plasma bunch into a vacuum for arbitrary initial particle velocity distributions. Ion acceleration is studied for two-temperature Maxwellian and super-Gaussian initial electron distributions, which predetermine distinctly different ion spectra. The solution found is used to describe the acceleration of ions of two types. The relative acceleration efficiency of light and heavy ions as a function of atomic weights and number densities is analyzed. The solutions obtained are of practical importance in describing ion acceleration during the interaction of an ultrashort laser pulse with nanoplasma, for example, cluster plasma or plasma produced when thin foils are irradiated by a laser.     

纳秒脉冲激光诱导空气等离子体的近红外辐射特性

开展纳秒激光诱导空气等离子体近红外辐射特性的实验研究,对波长为532 nm的脉冲ns激光诱导产生的空气等离子体的近红外光谱进行测量.结果表明:空气等离子体的近红外辐射在光谱范围为1100-2400 nm内由连续谱和线状谱组成,光谱指认表明线谱主要来源于N,O原子的中性原子谱和氮分子的振动光谱.通过对连续谱的分析得知,黑体辐射是连续辐射的主要来源.空气中波长1128 nm附近的辐射,可能是N和O中性原子谱的贡献.保持真空腔内气压不变,改变腔内氮气和氧气气体组分含量,分析测得的红外光谱数据,可知混合气体中氧气和氮气含量变化只对波长为1128 nm附近的辐射有影响.利用二元线性回归分析对数据进行分析后得知,氧气对波长为1128 nm附近的辐射贡献较大.最后从电离难易的角度分析造成这一结果的原因.     

Measurements of plasma temperature and electron density in laser-induced copper plasma by time-resolved spectroscopy of neutral atom and ion emissions

Plasma produced by a 355 nm pulsed Nd:YAG laser with a pulse duration of 6 ns focussed onto a copper solid sample in air at atmospheric pressure is studied spectroscopically. The temperature and electron density characterizing the plasma are measured by time-resolved spectroscopy of neutral atom and ion line emissions in the time window of 300–2000 ns. An echelle spectrograph coupled with a gated intensified charge coupled detector is used to record the plasma emissions. The temperature is obtained using the Boltzmann plot method and the electron density is determined using the Saha-Boltzmann equation method. Both parameters are studied as a function of delay time with respect to the onset of the laser pulse. The results are discussed. The time window where the plasma is optically thin and is also in local thermodynamic equilibrium (LTE), necessary for the laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) analysis of samples, is deduced from the temporal evolution of the intensity ratio of two Cu I lines. It is found to be 700–1000 ns.