多脉冲飞秒激光对锗材料的烧蚀效应

 开展了脉宽为40 fs的不同数量激光脉冲对锗材料的烧蚀效应实验,采用扫描电镜、激光共聚焦显微镜等方法对不同数量的飞秒激光脉冲作用下锗材料表面烧蚀区进行了检测,并对作用后材料烧蚀形貌演化规律进行了分析,初步分析了锗材料烧蚀区周围形成的不同环区的形貌特征及成因,对各环区烧蚀形貌特征随激光作用脉冲数的增加而产生的形貌演化过程进行了观测。并给出单脉冲飞秒激光对锗材料的烧蚀阈值为1.2 J·cm^-2,采用激光共聚焦显微镜测得该阈值条件下单个飞秒激光脉冲对锗材料的烧蚀深度约为150 nm。     

Femtosecond laser ablation characteristics of nickel-based superalloy C263

Femtosecond laser (180 fs, 775 nm, 1 kHz) ablation characteristics of the nickel-based superalloy C263 are investigated. The single pulse ablation threshold is measured to be 0.26±0.03 J/cm² and the incubation parameter ξ=0.72±0.03 by also measuring the dependence of ablation threshold on the number of laser pulses. The ablation rate exhibits two logarithmic dependencies on fluence corresponding to ablation determined by the optical penetration depth at fluences below ∼5 J/cm² (for single pulse) and by the electron thermal diffusion length above that fluence. The central surface morphology of ablated craters (dimples) with laser fluence and number of laser pulses shows the development of several kinds of periodic structures (ripples) with different periodicities as well as the formation of resolidified material and holes at the centre of the ablated crater at high fluences. The debris produced during ablation consists of crystalline C263 oxidized nanoparticles with diameters of ∼2–20 nm (for F=9.6 J/cm²). The mechanisms involved in femtosecond laser microprocessing of the superalloy C263 as well as in the synthesis of C263 nanoparticles are elucidated and discussed in terms of the properties of the material.     

Nanoparticles size modifications during femtosecond laser ablation of nickel in vacuum

Nanoparticles were synthesized by irradiating a nickel target with femtosecond laser pulses in high vacuum, and subsequently analyzed. The proof-of-principle experiments aim to modify the size characteristics of the produced nanoparticles. For nickel it is found that: (i) ultraviolet laser pulses lead to a remarkable change in the nanoparticles size distribution with respect to visible laser pulses; (ii) irradiation of the femtosecond pulses induced ablation plume with a second, delayed ultraviolet laser pulse can change the size characteristics of the produced nanoparticles.     

Thermal characteristics of double-layer thin film target ablated by femtosecond laser pulses

Thermal characteristics of tightly-contacted copper--gold double-layer thin film target under ablation of femtosecond laser pulses are investigated by using a two-temperature theoretical model. Numerical simulation shows that electron heat flux varies significantly on the boundary of copper--gold film with different maximal electron temperature of 1.15×10³ K at 5 ps after ablating laser pulse in gold and copper films, which can reach a balance around 12.6 ps and 8.2 ps for a single and double pulse ablation, respectively, and in the meantime, the lattice temperature difference crossing the gold--copper interface is only about 0.04×10³ K at the same time scale. It is also found that electron--lattice heat relaxation time increases linearly with laser fluence in both single and double pulse ablation, and a sudden change of the relaxation time appears after the laser energy density exceeds the ablation threshold.     

Guidelines for efficient direct ablation of dielectrics with single femtosecond pulses

We provide guidelines to femtosecond laser users to select ad hoc laser parameters, namely the fluence and pulse duration, in the context of the development of ablation processes at the surface of dielectrics using single femtosecond pulses. Our results and discussion are based on a comprehensive experimental and theoretical analysis of the energy deposition process at the surface of fused silica samples and of their postmortem ablation characteristics, in the range of intensities from 10¹³ to 10¹⁵ W/cm². We show experimentally and numerically that self-induced plasma transient properties at the pulse timescale dramatically determine the efficiency of energy deposition and affect the resulting ablation morphology. In practice, we determine that the precise measurement of two characteristic fluence values, namely the laser-induced ablation threshold F _th,LIAT and the fluence F _opt for maximum ablation efficiency, are only required to qualify the outcomes of laser ablation at the surface of a dielectric in an extended range of applied fluence.     

Single-shot ablation threshold of chromium using UV femtosecond laser pulses

Single-shot ablation threshold for thin chromium film was studied using 266 nm, femtosecond laser pulses. Chromium is a useful material in the nanotechnology industry and information on ablation threshold using UV femtosecond pulses would help in precise micromachining of the material. The ablation threshold was determined by measuring the ablation crater diameters as a function of incident laser pulse energy. Absorption of 266 nm light on the chromium film was also measured under our experimental conditions, and the absorbed energy single-shot ablation threshold fluence was \(46 \pm 5\)  mJ/cm². The experimental ablation threshold fluence value was compared to time-dependent heat flow calculations based on the two temperature model for ultrafast laser pulses. The model predicts a value of 31.6 mJ/cm² which is qualitatively consistent with the experimentally obtained value, given the simplicity of the model.     

多脉冲飞秒激光对锗材料的烧蚀效应

开展了脉宽为40 fs的不同数量激光脉冲对锗材料的烧蚀效应实验,采用扫描电镜、激光共聚焦显微镜等方法对不同数量的飞秒激光脉冲作用下锗材料表面烧蚀区进行了检测,并对作用后材料烧蚀形貌演化规律进行了分析,初步分析了锗材料烧蚀区周围形成的不同环区的形貌特征及成因,对各环区烧蚀形貌特征随激光作用脉冲数的增加而产生的形貌演化过程进行了观测。并给出单脉冲飞秒激光对锗材料的烧蚀阈值为1.2 J·cm-2,采用激光共聚焦显微镜测得该阈值条件下单个飞秒激光脉冲对锗材料的烧蚀深度约为150 nm。     

Deep drilling on a silicon plate with a femtosecond laser: experiment and model analysis

The ablation rate when drilling fine holes having large aspect ratios in silicon substrates with femtosecond laser pulses was estimated from mechanically ground cross sections of the ablated holes. The ablation rate shows a dramatic change at the depth at which the laser pulse reaches a certain fluence, which is nearly constant when the initial laser fluence was varied from 14.5 to 59.4 J/cm². The ablation rate, threshold fluence, in three fluence domains, and the transition fluences at which the ablation rate shows a dramatic change, were derived. However, when a pulse energy of 200 μJ was used a much greater ablation rate was obtained, suggesting that another fluence domain for larger ablation rates exists. The experimentally obtained hole depths as a function of shot numbers were reproduced by a theoretical model, which incorporates laser pulse attenuation in the holes that is the same as that in waveguides for some attenuation coefficient and ablation rates for three fluence domains. PACS 42.62.-b; 42.65.Re; 78.40.Fy; 78.47.+p; 81.20.Wk     

Growth of ZnO nanoparticles and nanorods with ultrafast pulsed laser deposition

In this work, we study the application of ultrafast pulsed laser deposition (PLD) in ZnO nanomaterial synthesis, including nanoparticles and nanorods. PLD using long pulse (nanosecond) lasers has been widely used as a method for growing prototype materials. The recently-emerged ultrafast PLD is expected to be able to overcome the problem of large liquid droplet formation. Using near infrared and femtosecond laser pulses in ablation, we first characterize the ablation plume using a Langmuir probe and plasma optical emission spectroscopy. We then examine the structural properties of the nanoparticles generated during low-fluence ablation. Finally, we demonstrate that using nanoparticle aggregates as templates, assisted by plume-excited nitrogen radicals at a high fluence, high quality ZnO nanorods can be grown free of metal catalysts.     

Experimental femtosecond laser photodisruption of rabbit sclera for minimally invasive laser sclerostomy: An in vitro study

Femtosecond laser technology, used as a minimally invasive tool in intrastromal refractive surgery, may also have potential as a useful instrument for glaucoma filtration surgery. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the feasibility of minimally invasive laser sclerostomy by femtosecond laser photodisruption and seek the appropriate patterns of laser ablation and relevant laser parameters. A femtosecond laser (800 nm/50 fs/1 kHz), focused by a 0.1 numerical aperture (NA) objective lens, with different pulse energies and exposure times was applied to ablate hydrated rabbit sclera in vitro. The irradiated samples were examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). By moving a three-dimensional, computer-controlled translation stage to which the sample was attached, the femtosecond laser could produce three types of ablation patterns, including linear ablation, cylindrical aperture and rectangular cavity. With pulse energies ranging from 37.5 to 150 μJ, the linear lesions were consistently observed at the inner surface of sclera, whereas it failed to make any photodisruption if pulse energy was below the threshold value of 31.25 μJ, with the corresponding threshold intensity of 4.06×10¹⁴ W/cm². The depths of the linear lesions increased linearly with both pulse energy (37.5–150 μJ) and exposure time (0.1–0.4 s). Histological examination showed the incisions produced by femtosecond laser photodisruption had precise geometry and the edges were sharp and smooth, with no evidence of collateral damage to the surrounding tissue. Our results predict the potential application of femtosecond laser pulses in minimally invasive laser sclerostomy for glaucoma treatment.     

Generation of lower and higher harmonics in different plasma media with small <Emphasis Type="Italic">Z</Emphasis>

The generation of lower (third) and higher harmonics of femtosecond laser radiation in plasmas produced by laser ablation of different targets with a small atomic number Z (B, Be, Li) has been investigated. The high (10⁻³) efficiency of third-harmonic generation was observed in plasma produced on the boron surface. Efficient third-harmonic generation was also observed in beryllium plasma using femtosecond pulses of Ti:sapphire laser radiation (λ = 790 nm) and its second harmonic (395 nm). We could tune the higher harmonics generation spectrum by tuning the crystal converter when using 395-nm radiation to be converted. It is shown that, in plasmas formed on targets with small Z, the conversion efficiency and limiting generated harmonic order depend on the delay between the ablation pulse and the pulse to be converted.     

Molecular dynamic study of volumetric phase change induced by a femtosecond laser pulse

During the last decade, femtosecond laser has been used for micro-machining of various materials. In this work, the phase change phenomena during femtosecond laser ablation are investigated using molecular dynamics (MD) simulation. The process of femtosecond laser ablation of nickel is calculated. The temperature and stress history, and the generation and growth of gas bubbles are traced. For different laser pulse fluences, the material ablation process is analysed to reveal the effect of temperature and stress. PACS 02.70.Ns; 42.62.-b; 64.60.Ht     

Femtosecond pulsed laser ablation of thin gold film

Laser micromachining on 1000 nm-thick gold film using femtosecond laser has been studied. The laser pulses that are used for this study are 400 nm in central wavelength, 150 fs in pulse duration, and the repetition rate is 1 kHz. Plano-concave lens with a focal length of 19 mm focuses the laser beam into a spot of 3 μm (1/e² diameter). The sample was translated at a linear speed of 400 μm/s during machining. Grooves were cut on gold thin film with laser pulses of various energies. The ablation depths were measured and plotted. There are two ablation regimes. In the first regime, the cutting is very shallow and the edges are free of molten material. While in the second regime, molten material appears and the cutting edges are contaminated. The results suggest that clean and precise microstructuring can be achieved with femtosecond pulsed laser by controlling the pulse energy in the first ablation regime.     

Electron dynamics and prompt ablation of aluminum surface excited by intense femtosecond laser pulse

Thin aluminum film homogeneously heated by intense IR femtosecond laser pulses exhibits on the excitation timescale consequent fluence-dependent rise and drop of the IR-pump self-reflectivity, followed by its final saturation at higher fluences F > 0.3 J/cm². This prompt optical dynamics correlates with the initial monotonic increase in the accompanying laser-induced electron emission, which is succeeded by its non-linear (three-photon) increase for F > 0.3 J/cm². The underlying electronic dynamics is related to the initial saturation of IR resonant interband transitions in this material, followed by its strong instantaneous electronic heating via intraband transitions during the pump pulse resulting in thermionic emission. Above the threshold fluence of 0.3 J/cm², the surface electronic heating is balanced during the pump pulse by simultaneous cooling via intense plasma removal (prompt ablation). The relationship between the deposited volume energy density in the film and its prompt electronic temperature derived from the self-reflection measurements using a Drude model, demonstrates a kind of electron “liquid–vapor” phase transition, driven by strong cubic optical non-linearity of the photo-excited aluminum.     

Laser ablation of liquid surface in air induced by laser irradiation through liquid medium

The pulse laser ablation of a liquid surface in air when induced by laser irradiation through a liquid medium has been experimentally investigated. A supersonic liquid jet is observed at the liquid–air interface. The liquid surface layer is driven by a plasma plume that is produced by laser ablation at the layer, resulting in a liquid jet. This phenomenon occurs only when an Nd:YAG laser pulse (wavelength: 1064 nm) is focused from the liquid onto air at a low fluence of 20 J/cm². In this case, as Fresnel’s law shows, the incident and reflected electric fields near the liquid surface layer are superposed constructively. In contrast, when the incident laser is focused from air onto the liquid, a liquid jet is produced only at an extremely high fluence, several times larger than that in the former case. The similarities and differences in the liquid jets and atomization processes are studied for several liquid samples, including water, ethanol, and vacuum oil. The laser ablation of the liquid surface is found to depend on the incident laser energy and laser fluence. A pulse laser light source and high-resolution film are required to observe the detailed structure of a liquid jet.     

Subpicosecond excimer laser ablation of thick gold films of ultra-fine particles generated by a gas deposition technique

The results of UV laser ablation of gold nanoparticle films on glass substrates using femtosecond pulses are presented. Films of ultra-fine gold particles were prepared by an inert gas evaporation and deposition technique, resulting in a well-defined log-normal particle size distribution of (7ǃ) nm. The pulse length of the laser was 500 fs at a wavelength of 248 nm. Ablation thresholds, ablation rates at different fluxes, and the morphology of the ablated structures are presented. For the nanoparticle films studied an ablation rate five times higher than that of gold films prepared by the conventional evaporation technique was found. The ablation thresholds and rates are supposed to depend on the particle size and also on the evaporation pressure. These results are explained by taking into account the energy transport properties of nanocrystalline and conventionally evaporated gold films.     

Pulse laser ablation at water–air interface

We studied a new pulse laser ablation phenomenon on a liquid surface layer, which is caused by the difference between the refractive indices of the two materials involved. The present study was motivated by our previous study, which showed that laser ablation can occur at the interface between a transparent material and a gas or liquid medium when the laser pulse is focused through the transparent material. In this case, the ablation threshold fluence is reduced remarkably. In the present study, experiments were conducted in water and air in order to confirm this phenomenon for a combination of two fluid media with different refractive indices. This phenomenon was observed in detail by pulse laser shadowgraphy. A high-resolution film was used to record the phenomenon with a Nd:YAG pulse laser with 10-ns duration as a light source. The laser ablation phenomenon on the liquid surface layer caused by a focused Nd:YAG laser pulse with 1064-nm wavelength was found to be followed by the splashing of the liquid surface, inducing a liquid jet with many ligaments. The liquid jet extension velocity was around 1000 m/s in a typical case. The liquid jet decelerated drastically due to rapid atomization at the tips of the ligaments. The liquid jet phenomenon was found to depend on the pulse laser parameters such as the laser fluence on the liquid surface, laser energy, and laser beam pattern. The threshold laser fluence for the generation of a liquid jet was 20 J/cm². By increasing the incident laser energy with a fixed laser fluence, the laser focused area increased, which eventually led to an increase in the size of the plasma column. The larger the laser energy, the larger the jet size and the longer the temporal behavior. The laser beam pattern was found to have significant effects on the liquid jet’s velocity, shape, and history.     

飞秒激光剥蚀电感耦合等离子体质谱在地球科学中的应用进展

激光剥蚀电感耦合等离子体质谱(LA-ICP-MS)是原位微区元素含量和同位素比值分析测试的主流技术, 已被广泛应用于地球科学等相关领域。飞秒激光剥蚀系统由于其极短的激光脉宽大大降低甚至消除了传统纳秒激光剥蚀产生的热效应导致的元素分馏问题,在非基体匹配分析等方面显示出巨大发展潜力,已成为当前LA-ICP-MS技术的一个新的发展趋势和研究热点。介绍了飞秒激光剥蚀系统的基本特征(飞秒激光及产生原理、当前商用飞秒激光器种类),重点阐述了飞秒激光剥蚀地球科学样品的机理(样品对激光能量的吸收方式、气溶胶的产生和粒度分布特征、剥蚀坑的形貌特征等),评述了飞秒激光剥蚀在改善分析性能方面的独特优势,最后总结了近十几年来它在地球科学样品元素含量和同位素比值分析中的实际应用,并展望了该技术的应用前景。     

Nanosecond and femtosecond ablation of La0.6Ca0.4CoO3: a comparison between plume dynamics and composition of the films

Thin films of La_0.6Ca_0.4CoO₃ were grown by pulsed laser ablation with nanosecond and femtosecond pulses. The films deposited with femtosecond pulses (248 nm, 500 fs pulse duration) exhibit a higher surface roughness and deficiency in the cobalt content compared to the films deposited with nanosecond pulses (248 nm, 20 ns pulse duration). The origin of these pronounced differences between the films grown by ns and fs ablation has been studied in detail by time-resolved optical emission spectroscopy and imaging. The plumes generated by nanosecond and femtosecond ablation were analyzed in vacuum and in a background pressure of 60 Pa of oxygen. The ns-induced plume in vacuum exhibits a spherical shape, while for femtosecond ablation the plume is more elongated along the expansion direction, but with similar velocities for ns and fs laser ablation. In the case of ablation in the background gas similar velocities of the plume species are observed for fs and ns laser ablation. The different film compositions are therefore not related to different kinetic energies and different distributions of various species in the plasma plume which has been identified as the origin of the deficiency of species for other materials.     

飞秒激光烧蚀LiNbO3晶体的形貌特征与机理研究

采用了不同能量的单脉冲和多脉冲飞秒激光对LiNbO₃晶体进行烧蚀，并刻蚀了表面衍射型光栅.通过扫描电镜和原子力显微镜观察了烧蚀点的形貌特征，首次发现利用单束飞秒激光脉冲对LiNbO₃晶体烧蚀，可以得到超衍射极限的烧蚀点，当聚焦光斑直径约为2μm、能量为170nJ的单脉冲飞秒激光作用时，烧蚀点的直径约为400nm，100nJ，17个脉冲作用时烧蚀点的直径约为800nm.同时可以观察到在能量较低的多脉冲飞秒激光作用下， LiNbO₃晶体呈现出大约200nm周期性分布的波纹状结构.实验结果表明，选择合适参数的飞秒激光脉冲可以对LiNbO₃晶体进行超衍射极限加工，这对于利用飞秒激光制作LiNbO₃基质的微纳光电子器件有十分重要的意义.