折叠式长脉冲XeCl准分子激光器

本文报道一台新颖的双通道放电泵浦的准分子激光器,采用折叠式光路构成一个较长的激光腔(2m),同时适当拉长放电时间,获得了150ns、150mJ的激光输出。     

Variable reflectivity unstable resonators for a long pulse XeCl excimer laser

The divergence of a long pulse, low gain XeCl excimer laser has been improved using confocal positive branch unstable resonators with variable reflectivity mirrors as outcouplers. With variable reflectivity unstable resonators, nearly diffraction limited beams are obtained. Variable reflectivity resonators lead to high brightness beams (9.1 10 W/(cm sr)). Different reflection profiles were studied with respect to their influence on the beam quality and the energy extraction.     

Shadowgraphic imaging of laser transfer driven by metal film blistering

A time-resolved shadowgraphic technique was used to investigate local transfer of diamond nanopowder from a thin titanium film on a silica support under irradiation by 450-fs or 50-ps laser pulses. Clean powder ejection driven by blistering of the metal film remaining on the target surface was found possible in a limited fluence range, but the metal film was removed from the target together with the powder when higher laser fluences were applied. The velocity of the powder ejection demonstrates an approximately linear rise in a wide range of the incident fluences, while the slope of the velocity curve decreases for thicker metal layers. The maximum ejection velocity achievable in the blistering regime was evaluated as ∼100 m/s independently of the metal thickness and pulse width.     

Analysis of melt ejection during long pulsed laser drilling

In pulsed laser drilling, melt ejection greatly influences the keyhole shape and its quality as well, but its mechanism has not been well understood. In this paper, numerical simulation and experimental investigations based on 304 stainless steel and aluminum targets are performed to study the effects of material parameters on melt ejection. The numerical method is employed to predict the temperatures, velocity fields in the solid, liquid, and vapour front, and melt pool dynamics of targets as well. The experimental methods include the shadow-graphic technique, weight method, and optical microscope imaging, which are applied to real-time observations of melt ejection phenomena, measurements of collected melt and changes of target mass, observations of surface morphology and the cross-section of the keyhole, respectively. Numerical and experimental results show that the metallic material with high thermal diffusivity like aluminum is prone to have a thick liquid zone and a large quantity of melt ejection. Additionally, to the best of our knowledge, the liquid zone is used to illustrate the relations between melt ejection and material thermal diffusivity for the first time. The research result in this paper is useful for manufacturing optimization and quality control in laser-material interaction.     

Optimization of a long pulse dye laser

The development of the thermal lens in a 60 μs long pulse dye laser is described. The use of a resonator with a spherical mirror permits to obtain reliable output pulses at a conversion efficiency of 0.3%.     

The influence of temporal pulse train modulation during laser percussion drilling

The temporal pulse train modulation during laser percussion drilling was found to effect significant changes to the material ejection processes. In particular, distinct differences in the material ejection processes have been observed between a temporal pulse train shaping technique termed as sequential pulse delivery pattern control (SPDPC) and the normal delivery pattern (NDP), wherein the parameters of successive laser pulses were constant. Due to the reduced upward material removal fractions in SPDPC drilling, the spatter deposition area was reduced from approximately 6.7 to 2.7 mm². In addition, the melt layer thicknesses at the hole bottom were significantly increased from 11–61 to 18–369 μm. Such changes were identified as being due to the low laser pulse intensities before beam breakthrough associated with the SPDPC method. It was observed that the use of the linearly increasing SPDPC method increased the downward material removal fractions, from 20% to 28% observed in NDP drilling, to 34%–39%. Such an increase in the downward material ejection mechanism in SPDPC drilling was identified as being primarily due to the pointed blind-hole profile generated before the onset of beam breakthrough. The work has shown that modulating the entire pulse train in laser percussion drilling could control the material ejection processes. Furthermore, the fundamental elements of the SPDPC technique are given in terms of the rate of energy deposition and total pulse train energy.     

Laser pulse optimization for practical laser drilling

Laser drilling is a common commercially developed technique for material processing. From the application viewpoint, it is the end product for a laser system, for instance a drilled hole, that matters. Laser pulse profile is the most important parameter controlling the laser hole drilling process. An efficient and practical method is therefore needed to develop a relationship between the pulse parameters and the depth of hole produced in a known material. In the present study, dimensionless groups are developed to optimize laser pulse parameters to give information on workpiece materials. Consequently, an optimal laser pulse for drilling an aluminum workpiece is predicted.     

Laser drilling of thick material using femtosecond pulse with a focus of dual-frequency beam

Laser drilling is one of the basic, most frequently performed, material removal processes. The drilling aspect ratio is theoretically limited by the size and the focal depth of the machining laser spot. The aspect ratio can be improved by using dual focus. In this paper we describe a focus of two different frequencies based on the longitudinal chromatic aberration arisen when polychromatic collimated light is incident on a positive lens element. In the experiments, a Ti:Sapphire laser of 800 nm wavelength and 150 fs pulse duration was used as a source. Two tightly focused laser spots few hundred micrometers apart from each other were formed by focusing a combined collimated laser beam which contains the fundamental optic frequency and the second harmonic optic frequency. The focus of dual-frequency beam was used to drill a 3 mm thick PMMA plate. The drilling aspect ratio of a dual-frequency beam was compared to that of a focus of single frequency beam. Experimental results reveal that dual-frequency beam increases the aspect ratio and improves the drilling quality in terms of profile of the produced features.     

High average power from a long pulse dye laser

A reliable rhodamine 6G dye laser with a 60μs pulse duration, a repetition rate up to 100 Hz and an average power of 4W is described.     

The influence of pre-melting in laser drilling with temporally modulated pulse

Laser drilling by temporally modulated pulse is a promising technique and has many advantages compared with normal pulse drilling. In this work, the effect of modulated pulse comprising pre-heating front and sharp trail was mainly studied. The function of the former was to pre-melt the radiated material, and the latter was to expel the liquid melt from the molten pool, thus to form a blind hole. While the trail subpulse was kept constant, the difference in the pre-heating subpulse parameter could cause a considerable influence on the hole quality and drilling efficiency. The depth and volume of the molten pool were proportional to the pre-heating energy, and inversely proportional to the pre-heating duration. With pre-heating subpulses of proper parameters, the sharp trail subpulse was very effective in expelling the melt liquid, leaving only a small quantity of melt to re-solidify as the recast layer, which was observably thinner compared with the holes drilled using the normal pulse mode. In the pre-melting process, the directional melt flow and heat conduction were found to be the reasons why the deep melting phenomenon had occurred.     

A comprehensive study of the long pulse Nd:YAG laser drilling of multi-layer carbon fibre composites

The results of an extensive experimental study of the free running Nd:YAG laser drilling of a multi-layer carbon fibre composite, where adjacent layers have differently orientated fibres, are reported. For holes drilled with the laser operating in fixed-Q mode at 1064 nm, parallel sections of blind holes illustrating discontinuities in the hole size along a given section direction will be shown to occur at the interface between adjacent layers. An explanation for this effect is proposed. Detailed single pulse drilling characteristics will be presented illustrating the exit hole diameter as a function of pulse energy and material thickness. These characteristics illustrate a ‘stable' drilling regime in which the exit hole diameters are least sensitive to changes in pulse energy or material thickness and a less ‘stable' regime in which they are more strongly dependent on these parameters. Drilling characteristics will be given for two different beam qualities, illustrating the greater drilling depth and reduced hole size achievable with an improved beam quality. Finally holes drilled through a 2 mm thick sample of material with multiple pulses are considered. Size distribution curves for entrance and exit holes will be presented. The total energy required (number of pulses × pulse energy) to drill through 2 mm thick material will be reported as a function of pulse energy in stationary air and argon atmospheres and in a partial vacuum, illustrating a threshold energy which is dependent upon the drilling atmosphere. The threshold energies will be discussed with reference to plasma formation and the reactivity of the drilling atmosphere.     

kHz准分子激光器全固态脉冲激励源

由于寿命制约,准分子激光器使用的传统放电开关闸流管不能满足准分子激光器高重复频率长期稳定工作运行的要求。设计了基于两级磁脉冲压缩技术的全固态脉冲功率模块,使用大功率半导体开关结合脉冲升压变压器产生s级的高压脉冲,利用磁脉冲压缩技术将上升时间为s级高压脉冲压缩至满足准分子激光器使用的上升时间为0.1 s级高压脉冲。在ArF准分子激光头上放电,获得激励脉冲的上升时间约为90 ns,放电电压16.5 kV,重复频率达到1 kHz,两级磁脉冲压缩开关能量传递效率达59.1%。     

Simulation of material removal efficiency with ultrashort laser pulses

Understanding physical processes accompanying ablation is necessary for the optimal use of ultrashort laser pulse (USLP) material processing. We describe the implementation of self-consistent electromagnetic propagation-energy absorption in our numerical models. We evaluate absorption as a function of the pulse duration, energy, angle of incidence and polarization. We formulate a measure of material removal and use it to estimate the effect of energy, pulselength and prepulses on material removal.     

Hole drilling studies with a variable pulse length CO2 laser

A transversely excited CO₂ laser has been used to investigate the interaction between laser pulses of duration ≈ 40 μs, and metallic targets. The dependence of machining efficiency on power density has been studied, and high speed photography has been used to compare interactions with different pulse durations. Metallurgical analysis has revealed important structural effects in both mild steel and aluminum samples.     

kHz准分子激光器全固态脉冲激励源

由于寿命制约,准分子激光器使用的传统放电开关闸流管不能满足准分子激光器高重复频率长期稳定工作运行的要求。设计了基于两级磁脉冲压缩技术的全固态脉冲功率模块,使用大功率半导体开关结合脉冲升压变压器产生s级的高压脉冲,利用磁脉冲压缩技术将上升时间为s级高压脉冲压缩至满足准分子激光器使用的上升时间为0.1 s级高压脉冲。在ArF准分子激光头上放电,获得激励脉冲的上升时间约为90 ns,放电电压16.5 kV,重复频率达到1 kHz,两级磁脉冲压缩开关能量传递效率达59.1%。     

Improvement of average laser power and beam divergence of a high pulse repetition frequency excimer laser

Received: 3 January 1997/Revised version: 13 May 1997     

Early stage of the material removal during ArF laser ablation of graphite

Material removal during ArF excimer laser ablation of graphite at atmospheric pressure was investigated by two independent methods; 1) by observation of the propagating properties of the shock wave generated by the carbonaceous ejecta and 2) by in situ measurement of the size distribution of carbon nanoparticles condensing in the ablation plume. This latter was carried out by a scanning mobility particle sizer system based on a differential mobility analyser. The performed measurements indicate that the material removal during ArF laser ablation consists of two steps at fluences above the threshold fluence. First, a thin layer of carbon (of the order of 1 nm) is removed by a quick desorption process, leading to shockwave formation. This process takes place in a ns time scale, and desorption rate estimations reveal that this can not be explained by thermal surface evaporation. Since to our knowledge there is no thermal process that could account for the estimated desorption rate, it is argued that this is a fast photochemical (i.e. non-thermal) process. The size distribution of the condensed nanoparticles related to this step shows a rising edge at diameters below 10 nm. At fluences above the ablation threshold, the majority of the material is ejected in the second phase, resulting in condensation of carbon nanoparticles, peaking at 50 nm diameters in the size spectrum. Both shockwave formation and material removal are also detected well below the ablation threshold fluence, which is attributed to the photochemical process. PACS 61.46.+w; 81.16.Mk     

372-mJ long pulse pyrotechnically pumped laser

A pyrotechnically pumped Nd glass laser is demonstrated by the use of pyrotechnic flashlamps composed of several chemical materials arranged in a stable plane concave resonator cavity. The flashlamp was made of chemical mixture with oxidant, fuel, and binder. The emission spectrum of pyrotechnic flame covered most of the absorption bands of Nda＋ in phosphate glass. Under 4.56-g chemical mixture pumping, long pulse output power of about 5.5 W was achieved.     

Material effects in ultra-short pulse laser drilling of metals

Although hole drilling using ultra-short laser pulses has been shown to produce holes of excellent quality, we have observed that during the evolution of the hole, the morphology of the hole bottom has a dependence on fluence, number of shots, and polarization. We describe the nature of this structure within the hole and under what conditions it is observed.