Pulsed laser damage of proustite

Pulsed laser damage thresholds have been measured for proustite (Ag₃ As S₃) as the wavelengths 0.694, 1.065, 1.32 and 10.6 μm. The damage thresholds have been found to vary with both the wavelength and duration of the irradiating pulse. At 1.065 μm damage thresholds are 0.38 J/cm² for pulses of duration <50 ns whilst for durations >50 ns a value of 7 MW/cm² is appropriate. The results suggest that damage is initiated by absorbing inclusions approximately 0.6 μm in diameter embedded within the crystals. These inclusions are heated by an incident pulse to cause catastrophic damage of both the surface and interior of an irradiated sample. A model has been developed to enable a study of the thermal behaviour of inclusions irradiated by laser pulses with Gaussian time-dependence to be made.     

Laser-induced sputtering of ZnO,TiO2, CdSe and GaP near threshold laser fluence

Sputtering of ZnO, TiO₂, CdSe and GaP induced by 10 ns laser pulses from a tunable dye laser has been investigated. It is shown that all of these materials exhibit the following characteristics: (1) non-linear dependence of sputtering yield on the excitation laser fluence, (2) existence of the threshold laser fluence, (3) dependence of the threshold laser fluence on laser wavelength, and (4) non-Maxwellian velocity distribution of sputtered particles. These results indicate that the laser-induced sputtering near threshold fluences is not a thermal effect but an effect of dense electron-hole plasma.     

Evolution mechanism of alumina coating layer on rutile TiO2 powders and the pigmentary properties

The evolution of alumina coating layers on rutile TiO₂ particle surfaces was investigated starting from aluminum sulfate by a chemical liquid deposition method. The morphology of the alumina coating layers was determined by transmission electron microscopy. The chemical structure and the evolution mechanism of the alumina coating layers on TiO₂ surfaces were investigated by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and powder X-ray diffraction techniques. The dispersibility of the alumina-coated TiO₂ powders was determined by dynamic laser scattering (DLS) mode. The alumina coating layers existed in boehmite phase, AlOOH, and anchored at the surfaces of TiO₂ via Ti-O-Al bond. The formation of alumina coating layers on TiO₂ surfaces depended on the pH value of the deposition solution and the alumina loading. After coated by alumina layer, the dispersibility, whiteness, brightness, and light scattering index of the resultant samples were promoted.     

Linear photogalvanic current excited in sillenite crystals by femtosecond laser pulses

We observe electric pulses generated in sillenite crystals (Bi₁₂SiO₂₀ and Bi₁₂TiO₂₀) by 100-fs laser pulses at the wavelength of 400 nm (below the band gaps of both crystals). The peak value of the current pulses scales linearly with the intensity of laser pulses up to ∼45 GW/cm². The direction of the induced current depends on the polarization state of the laser pulse. This polarization dependence and features of the current detection via charge accumulation at the sample electrodes allow us to conclude that the electric pulses are generated due to the linear photogalvanic effect.     

不同工艺制备的高反射薄膜在真空与大气环境下的激光损伤特性

 建立了光学元件在真空环境下的激光损伤测量系统,采用电子束蒸发和离子辅助技术制备了Hf­₂/SiO₂高反射薄膜。对不同工艺制备的薄膜在真空与大气环境下的1 064 nm波长的激光损伤阈值进行了测量,对薄膜的损伤形貌进行了观测。对薄膜的损伤特性研究分析结果表明：薄膜在真空环境中的损伤阈值相对大气环境中有明显下降,其1∶1测试和R1测试损伤阈值下降约30%;两种环境中的薄膜损伤特性也不同,真空环境中损伤阈值的下降可能与热传导的不同有关。     

Nanosecond laser damage resistance of differently prepared semi-finished parts of optical multimode fibers

Optical multimode fibers are applied in materials processing (e.g. automotive industry), defense, aviation technology, medicine and biotechnology. One challenging task concerning the production of multimode fibers is the enhancement of laser-induced damage thresholds. A higher damage threshold enables a higher transmitted average power at a given fiber diameter or the same power inside a thinner fiber to obtain smaller focus spots.In principle, different material parameters affect the damage threshold. Besides the quality of the preform bulk material itself, the drawing process during the production of the fiber and the preparation of the fiber end surfaces influence the resistance. Therefore, the change of the laser-induced damage threshold of preform materials was investigated in dependence on a varying thermal treatment and preparation procedure.Single and multi-pulse laser-induced damage thresholds of preforms (F300, Heraeus) were measured using a Q-switched Nd:YAG laser at 1064 nm wavelength emitting pulses with a duration of 15 ns, a pulse energy of 12 mJ and a repetition rate of 10 Hz. The temporal and spatial shape of the laser pulses were controlled accurately.Laser-induced damage thresholds in a range from 150 J cm⁻² to 350 J cm⁻² were determined depending on the number of pulses applied to the same spot, the thermal history and the polishing quality of the samples, respectively.     

Enhancement in the photoluminescence of ZnS nanowires by TiO2 coating and thermal annealing

Influences of the TiO₂ coating and thermal annealing on the photoluminescence (PL) properties of ZnS nanowires were investigated. ZnS nanowires were synthesized by thermal evaporation of ZnS powder and then coated with TiO₂ by using the sputtering technique. The PL emission of ZnS nanowires can be significantly enhanced without nearly changing the wavelength of the emission by coating them with a TiO₂ layer with an appropriate thickness and then annealing them in an Ar atmosphere. The optimum TiO₂ coating layer thickness for the highest PL emission enhancement was found to be about 6.5 nm. The PL emission of the ZnS-core/TiO₂-shell coaxial nanowires is degraded by annealing in an oxygen atmosphere whereas it is enhanced by annealing in an argon atmosphere.     

A study of the compounds which are induced on the metallic target surface under the action of a pulsed laser plasmatron

The compounds induced on the surface of titanium and copper targets by a breakdown plasma produced by focused TEA-CO₂ high-repetition frequency laser pulses was studied by transmission electron microscopy and selected area diffraction in correlation with absorptivity data determined before and after laser irradiation. The possibility of using TEA-CO₂ lasers to produce complex thermal treatments was demonstrated for metallic surfaces by the modification of the physico-chemical properties at the sites of plasma action on these surfaces.     

Incubation effect and its influence on laser patterning of ITO thin film

Results are presented on the surface damage thresholds of ITO thin films induced by single- and multi-pulse laser irradiation at a pulse duration of 10 ps and a wavelength of 1064 nm. For multi-pulse ablation the incubation effect results in a reduction of the damage threshold, especially apparent at low pulse numbers and very small film thicknesses. The incubation effect attributes to the accumulation of defect sites and/or the storage of thermal stress-strain energy induced by the incident laser pulses. An incubation coefficient of S=0.82 has been obtained which is independent on the film thickness in the range of 10–100 nm. In practical applications, the incubation effect determines the laser patterning structure of ITO films while increasing the pulse overlapping rate. The width of the patterned line can be predicted by the proposed model involving the laser fluence, the overlapping rate and the incubation coefficient.     

Gas breakdown with nanosecond CO2 laser radiation

The thresholds for CO₂ laser induced breakdown and their variation with pulse width have been measured at various pressures for Ar, N₂ and an 8/1/1 laser mixture of He/CO₂/N₂ using 3–40 ns duration pulses. These measurements indicate that excited state production plays a dominant role in determining the threshold for nanosecond duration pulses. This has been confirmed by the good agreement obtained between the measured and theoretical thresholds.     

Damage performance of TiO2/SiO2 thin film components induced by a long-pulsed laser

In order to study the long-pulsed laser induced damage performance of optical thin films, damage experiments of TiO₂/SiO₂ films irradiated by a laser with 1 ms pulse duration and 1064 nm wavelength are performed. In the experiments, the damage threshold of the thin films is measured. The damages are observed to occur in isolated spots, which enlighten the inducement of the defects and impurities originated in the films. The threshold goes down when the laser spot size decreases. But there exists a minimum threshold, which cannot be further reduced by decreasing the laser spot size. Optical microscopy reveals a cone-shaped cavity in the film substrate. Changes of the damaged sizes in film components with laser fluence are also investigated. The results show that the damage efficiency increases with the laser fluence before the shielding effects start to act.     

The dispersion study of TiO2 nanoparticles surface modified through plasma polymerization

In this study, the surface of TiO₂ nanoparticles was modified through plasma polymerization, which is a dry coating method at room temperature. The surface morphology of TiO₂ nanoparticles was characterized by high-resolution transmission electron microscope (HRTEM). The dispersion behavior of TiO₂ nanoparticles in water and ethyl glycol was investigated by laser size distribution and ultraviolet–visible absorption spectrum. TiO₂ nanoparticles were coated with a thin film through plasma polymerization, which prevents the agglomeration and improves the dispersion behavior of TiO₂ nanoparticles.     

Laser induced damage studies in mercury cadmium telluride

We have investigated laser induced damage at laser wavelength in diamond paste polished (mirror finish) and carborundum polished Hg_0.8Cd_0.2Te (MCT) samples with increasing fluence as well as number of pulses. Evolution of damage morphology in two types of samples is quite different. In case of diamond paste polished samples, evolution of damage morphological features is consistent with Hg evaporation with transport of Cd/Te globules towards the periphery of the molten region. Cd/Te globules get accumulated with successive laser pulses at the periphery indicating an accumulation effect. Real time reflectivity (RTR) measurement has been done to understand melt pool dynamics. RTR measurements along with the thermal profile of the melt pool are in good agreement with thermal melting model of laser irradiated MCT samples. In case of carborundum polished samples, laser damage threshold is significantly reduced. Damage morphological features are significantly influenced by surface microstructural condition. From comparison of the morphological features in the two cases, it can be inferred that laser processing of MCT for device applications depends significantly on surface preparation conditions.     

The effect of porosity on the laser induced damage threshold of TiO2 and ZrO2 single layer films

Monolayer ZrO₂ and TiO₂ films were prepared on BK7 glass by physical vapor deposition (PVD) and were subsequently annealed for 1 h at 300 °C. By using the transmission spectra of two samples and the envelope method, the refractive index dispersion and extinction coefficients have been calculated. Laser induced damage threshold (LIDT) measurement shows that despite slight differences between the extinction coefficients of the two samples, the LIDT parameter of the ZrO₂ film is greater than that of the TiO₂ film. This fact leads us to consider thermal conductivity as an important parameter for interpreting the LIDT difference. According to our theoretical analysis, as a consequence of increase in the number of thermal barriers along poorer film, its thermal conductivity, and hence LIDT, decreased, which is in agreement with our experimental results. The measured porosity of the two samples shows higher porosity for TiO₂ single layer, which is in agreement with atomic force (AFM) images. The gradual and smooth damage morphology of ZrO₂ observed in optical images implies higher thermal conductivity than TiO₂.     

Excimer laser processing as a tool for photocatalytic design of sol-gel TiO2 thin films

Nanostructured sol-gel TiO₂ thin films spin coated on silicate glass plates are subjected to excimer (KrF^*) pulsed laser irradiation in order to tailor their structure and photocatalytic properties. The surface morphology of virgin and laser-processed films are followed applying electron optical imaging and atomic force microscopy. The evolution of the surface roughness and pore formation are shown to be accompanied by optical absorption edge shift to infrared wavelength range. Conventional X-ray diffraction analysis and high-resolution transmission electron imaging are applied in order to obtain information on the phase composition. Co-existence of amorphous and anatase TiO₂ phases in nonirradiated sol-gel films is found. It is established that after laser processing the most intense XRD anatase peak is shifted to lower 2θ range. The analysis of high-resolution transmission electron images of film profiles evidences for the laser induced phase transitions. Formation of rutile and brookite TiO₂ accompanied by evolution of oxygen deficient Ti_nO_2n−1 phases are identified in the subsurface region. The contribution of laser processing for increasing the photocatalytic efficiency of laser-modified films toward the oxidation of methylene blue water solution is demonstrated. The results obtained reveal a novel-processing route for designing sol-gel titania films with improved photocatalytical activity.     

Effect of SiO2 protective layer on the femtosecond laser-induced damage of HfO2/SiO2 multilayer high-reflective coatings

Two kinds of HfO₂/SiO₂ 800 nm high-reflective (HR) coatings, with and without SiO₂ protective layer were deposited by electron beam evaporation. Laser-induced damage thresholds (LIDT) were measured for all samples with femtosecond laser pulses. The surface morphologies and the depth information of all samples were observed by Leica optical microscopy and WYKO surface profiler, respectively. It is found that SiO₂ protective layer had no positive effect on improving the LIDT of HR coating. A simple model including the conduction band electron production via multiphoton ionization and impact ionization is used to explain this phenomenon. Theoretical calculations show that the damage occurs first in the SiO₂ protective layer for HfO₂/SiO₂ HR coating with SiO₂ protective layer. The relation of LIDT for two kinds of HfO₂/SiO₂ HR coatings in calculation agrees with the experiment result.     

Selective laser induced melting of ultrathin nanoporous silicon layers

Short laser pulses (wavelength 337 nm, duration time 0.5 ns) are used for thermal processing of ultra thin nanoporous silicon layers (UPSL) prepared electrochemically on n- and p-type Si(1 1 1) in aqueous NH₄F solution. The theoretical threshold for melting (W _m ) of UPSL is about 0.01 J/cm². This is about one order of magnitude belowW _m of crystalline silicon. A selective laser induced melting regime can be realized for which an UPSL is practically completely molten on the top of an unmolten crystalline silicon substrate. Investigations with scanning and high resolution transmission electron microscopy show the formation of crystalline silicon spheres with diameters in the range of some of ten nm in this regime.     

Analyses of surface coloration on TiO2 film irradiated with excimer laser

TiO₂ film of around 850 nm in thickness was deposited on a soda-lime glass by PVD sputtering and irradiated using one pulse of krypton-fluorine (KrF) excimer laser (wavelength of 248 nm and pulse duration of 25 ns) with varying fluence. The color of the irradiated area became darker with increasing laser fluence. Irradiated surfaces were characterized using optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy. Surface undergoes thermal annealing at low laser fluence of 400 and 590 mJ/cm². Microcracks at medium laser fluence of 1000 mJ/cm² are attributed to surface melting and solidification. Hydrodynamic ablation is proposed to explain the formation of micropores and networks at higher laser fluence of 1100 and 1200 mJ/cm². The darkening effect is explained in terms of trapping of light in the surface defects formed rather than anatase to rutile phase transformation as reported by others. Controlled darkening of TiO₂ film might be used for adjustable filters.     

Femtosecond pulsed laser deposition of nanostructured TiO2 films

Nanostructured deposits of TiO₂ were grown on Si (1 0 0) substrates by laser ablating a TiO₂ sintered target in vacuum or in oxygen using a Ti:sapphire laser delivering 80 fs pulses. The effect of the laser irradiation wavelength on the obtained nanostructures, was investigated using 800, 400 and 266 nm at different substrate temperatures and pressures of oxygen. The composition of the deposits was characterized using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and the surface morphology was studied by environmental scanning electron microscopy (ESEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Deposits are absent of microscopic droplets in all conditions explored. The best deposits, constituted by nanoparticles of an average diameter of 30 nm with a narrow size distribution, were obtained at the shorter laser wavelength of 266 nm under vacuum at substrate room temperature.     

Optical properties of poly(methyl methacrylate)–titania nanostructure thin films containing ellipsoid-shaped titania nanoparticles from ex-situ sol-gel method at low growth temperature

This paper reports on the linear and nonlinear optical responses of the PMMA-TiO₂ nanohybrid thin films which are synthesized by a flexible ex-situ sol-gel/polymerization process, assisted by spin coating and multi-step baking. Triethanolamine (TEOA) as surfactant and shape controller is used to modify the interface between PMMA and TiO₂, allowing a highly homogeneous dispersion of the ellipsoid-shaped TiO₂ nanoparticles. The resulting nanohybrid thin films have highly optical transparency as proved by the linear absorption photon-energy spectra and indicate an enhanced nonlinear optical (NLO) response as confirmed by the Z-scan technique using 800-nm, 120-femtosecond (fs) laser pulses, highlighting the potential of the nanocomposites for efficient optical devices.