Drilling enhancement by nanosecond-nanosecond collinear dual-pulse laser ablation of titanium in vacuum

Laser ablation of titanium in vacuum was performed using single- and dual-pulse regime in order to study crater formation. Crater profiles were analyzed by optical microscopy. It was found that the repetition-rate plays an important role in a process of laser ablation. The drilling is most effective for the highest repetition-rate. For the same total number of laser pulses clear drilling enhancement was achieved by dual-pulse regime of ablation in comparison to single-pulse regime. The strongest ablation rate in dual-pulse regime was achieved for the delay time between the pulses τ = 370 ns. Results are discussed in terms of decreased ablation threshold due to continuous heating of the target during the experiment.     

Nanosecond and femtosecond UV laser ablation of polymers: Influence of molecular weight

We examine the nanosecond and femtosecond UV laser ablation of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) as a function of molecular weight (M_w). For laser ablation with nanosecond laser pulses, at the excimer wavelengths 248 nm and 193 nm, we show that high temperatures develop; yet the dynamics of material ejection differs depending on polymer M_w. The results on the nanosecond ablation of polymers are accounted within the framework of bulk photothermal model and the results of molecular dynamics simulations. Turning next to the 248 nm ablation with 500 fs laser pulses, the ablation threshold and etching rates are also found to be dependent on polymer M_w. In addition, ablation results in morphological changes of the remaining substrate. Plausible mechanisms are advanced.     

Quantitative morphological evaluation of laser ablation on calculus using full-field optical coherence microscopy

The quantitative morphological evaluation at high resolution is of significance for the study of laser-tissue interaction. In this paper, a full-field optical coherence microscopy (OCM) system with high resolution of ∼2 μm was developed to investigate the ablation on urinary calculus by a free-running Er:YAG laser. We studied the morphological variation quantitatively corresponding to change of energy setting of the Er:YAG laser. The experimental results show that the full-field OCM enables quantitative evaluation of the morphological shape of craters and material removal, and particularly the fine structure. We also built a heat conduction model to simulate the process of laser-calculus interaction by using finite element method. Through the simulation, the removal region of the calculus was calculated according to the temperature distribution. As a result, the depth, width, volume, and the cross-sectional profile of the crater in calculus measured by full-field OCM matched well with the theoretical results based on the heat conduction model. Both experimental and theoretical results confirm that the thermal interaction is the dominant effect in the ablation of calculus by Er:YAG laser, demonstrating the effectiveness of full-field OCM in studying laser-tissue interactions.     

Computational and experimental study of the cluster size distribution in MAPLE

A combined experimental and computational study is performed to investigate the origin and characteristics of the surface features observed in SEM images of thin polymer films deposited in matrix-assisted pulsed laser evaporation (MAPLE). Analysis of high-resolution SEM images of surface morphologies of the films deposited at different fluences reveals that the mass distributions of the surface features can be well described by a power-law, Y(N) ∝ N^−t, with exponent −t ≈ −1.6. Molecular dynamic simulations of the MAPLE process predict a similar size distribution for large clusters observed in the ablation plume. A weak dependence of the cluster size distributions on fluence and target composition suggests that the power-law cluster size distribution may be a general characteristic of the ablation plume generated as a result of an explosive decomposition of a target region overheated above the limit of its thermodynamic stability. Based on the simulation results, we suggest that the ejection of large matrix-polymer clusters, followed by evaporation of the volatile matrix, is responsible for the formation of the surface features observed in the polymer films deposited in MAPLE experiments.     

Fisher information, Borges operators, and q-calculus

We discuss applying the increasingly popular q-calculus, or deformed calculus, so as to suitably generalize Fisher’s information measure and the Cramer-Rao inequality. A q-deformation can be attained in multiple ways, and we show that most of them do not constitute legitimate procedures. Within such a context, the only completely acceptable q-deformation is that ensuing from using the so-called Borges derivative [E.P. Borges, Physica A 340 (2004) 95].     

Hydrogenation of carbon fragments after femtosecond laser ablation of solid C60

We have observed several kinds of hydrocarbon cations after the nanosecond and the femtosecond laser ablation (nsLA and fsLA) of solid C₆₀. The observation indicates that the carbon fragments produced just after laser ablation of the C₆₀ molecule react with the hydrogen atoms and ions coexisting in the ablation plume. In the case of fsLA, clear dependence of the product hydrocarbon species on the ablation laser power has been observed although the dependence is not clearly observed in nsLA. The production of C_nH₅⁺ (n = 8, 10, and 12) is only observed in fsLA suggesting the unique nature of the transient carbon fragments produced by fsLA.     

Femtosecond pulsed laser ablation of diamond-like carbon films on silicon

Femtosecond pulsed laser ablation (τ = 120 fs, λ = 800 nm, repetition rate = 1 kHz) of thin diamond-like carbon (DLC) films on silicon was conducted in air using a direct focusing technique for estimating ablation threshold and investigating the influence of ablation parameter on the morphological features of ablated regions. The single-pulse ablation threshold estimated by two different methods were ?_th(1) = 2.43 and 2.51 J/cm². The morphological changes were evaluated by means of scanning electron microscopy. A comparison with picosecond pulsed laser ablation shows lower threshold and reduced collateral thermal damage.     

Ablation characteristics of aluminum oxide and nitride ceramics during femtosecond laser micromachining

Femtosecond laser ablation of aluminum oxide (Al₂O₃) and aluminum nitride (AlN) ceramics was performed under normal atmospheric conditions (λ = 785 nm, τ_p = 185 fs, repetition rate = 1 kHz), and threshold laser fluencies for single- and multi-pulse ablation were determined. The ablation characteristics of the two ceramics showed similar trends except for surface morphologies, which revealed virtually no melting in Al₂O₃ but clear evidence of melting for AlN. Based on subsequent X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analyses, the chemistry of these ceramics appeared to remain the same before and after femtosecond laser ablation.     

Analysis of KrF excimer laser beam modification resulting from ablation under closed thick film flowing filtered water

The application of a closed thick film flowing filtered water to immerse the ablation etching mechanism of an excimer laser poses interesting possibilities concerning debris control, modification of machined feature topography and modification of the ablation rate. Furthermore, these parameters have been shown to be dependent on flow velocity; hence, offering further user control of machining characteristics. However, the impact of this technique requires investigation. This contribution offers comparison of the calculated ablation pressure and the effect on feature surface characteristics given for laser ablation of bisphenol A polycarbonate using KrF excimer laser radiation in ambient air against laser ablation of the same substrate under closed thick film flowing filtered water immersion. Also, an impact of such immersion equipment on the optical performance of the micromachining centre used is quantified and reviewed. The pressure is calculated to have risen by a magnitude of 48, when using the liquid immersed ablation technique. This increase in pressure is proposed to have an increased surface roughness, promoting the number of asperities with a surface area lower than 16 μm²; resulting in a diffuse reflection of light and an apparent darkening of features. The focal length of the optical system was accurately predicted to increase by 2.958 mm, when using the closed flowing liquid immersion equipment. This equipment is predicted to have increased the optical depth of focus via reduction in the angle of convergence of the two defining image rays; yet the perceived focus, measured discretely by mean feature wall angle, was found to be 25% smaller when using the closed thick film flowing filtered water immersion technique instead of similar laser ablation in ambient air. A compressed plume interaction is proposed as a contributing factor in this change.     

Asymptotics of the partition function of a general Markov random field on an infinite rectangular lattice

We investigate theoretically and numerically the asymptotics of the partition function of a general Markov random field (MRF) on an infinite rectangular lattice. We first propose the general local energy function (LEF)-parameterized MRF. Then we prove that the thermodynamic limit of the free energy of the MRF can be exactly characterized by the Perron root of the fundamental transfer matrix of a particular Markov additive process (MAP). This matrix possesses a special structure and many interesting properties that enable parallel computation of the Perron root and may be beneficial for deriving an analytical form of the free energy. We also develop another transfer matrix for numerical computation of the desired Perron root. Specifically, the former is a site-to-site transfer matrix on a twisted cylindrical lattice, while the latter is the one associated with a row-to-row transition on a vertical strip. Numerical results show that our methods exhibit consistent finite-size scaling behavior even for small values of the lattice width. This study reveals that the fundamental transfer matrix is an alternative direction of research on the analysis of the partition function of general MRFs within the scope of matrix algebra.     

Molecular dynamics simulation of femtosecond ablation and spallation with different interatomic potentials

Fast heating of target material by femtosecond laser pulse (fsLP) with duration τ_L∼40-100 fs results in the formation of thermomechanically stressed state. Its unloading may cause frontal cavitation of subsurface layer at a depth of 50 nm for Al and 100 nm for Au. The compression wave propagating deep into material hits the rear-side of the target with the formation of rarefaction wave. The last may produce cracks and rear-side spallation. Results of MD simulations of ablation and spallation of Al and Au metals under action fsLP are presented. It is shown that the used EAM potentials (Mishin et al. and our new one) predict the different ablation and spallation thresholds on absorbed fluence in Al: ablation F_a=60{65} mJ/cm²and spallation F_s=120{190} mJ/cm², where numbers in brackets { } show the corresponding values for Mishin potential. The strain rate in spallation zone was 4.3×10⁹ 1/s at spallation threshold. Simulated spall strength of Al is 7.4{8.7} GPa, that is noticeably less than 10.3{14} GPa obtained from acoustic approximation with the use of velocity pullback on velocity profile of free rear surface. The ablation threshold F_a≈120 mJ/cm² and crater depth of 110 nm are obtained in MD simulations of gold with the new EAM potential. They agree well with experiment.     

Vacancies ordered in screw form (VOSF) and layered indium selenide thin film deposition by laser back ablation

Indium selenide thin films are important due to their applications in non-volatile memory and solar cells. In this work, we present an initial study of a new application of deposition-site selective laser back ablation (LBA) for making thin films of In₂Se₃. Invacuo annealing and subsequent characterization of the films by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) indicate that control of substrate temperature during deposition and post-deposition annealing temperature is critical in determining the phase and composition of the films. The initial laser fluence and target film thickness determine the amount of material deposited onto the substrate.     

Infinite-order symmetries for quantum separable systems

We develop a calculus to describe the (in general) infinite-order differential operator symmetries of a nonrelativistic Schrödinger eigenvalue equation that admits an orthogonal separation of variables in Riemannian n space. The infinite-order calculus exhibits structure not apparent when one studies only finite-order symmetries. The search for finite-order symmetries can then be reposed as one of looking for solutions of a coupled system of PDEs that are polynomial in certain parameters. Among the simple consequences of the calculus is that one can generate algorithmically a canonical basis for the space. Similarly, we can develop a calculus for conformal symmetries of the time-dependent Schrödinger equation if it admits R separation in some coordinate system. This leads to energy-shifting symmetries.     

Trading model with pair pattern strategies

A simple trading model based on pair pattern strategy space with holding periods is proposed. Power-law behavior is observed for the return variance σ², the price impact H and the predictability K for both models, with linear and square root impact functions. The sum of the traders’ wealth displays a positive value for the model with a square root price impact function, and a qualitative explanation is given based on the observation of the conditional excess demand 〈A|u〉. The cumulative wealth distribution also obeys a power-law behavior with an exponent close to that of real markets. An evolutionary trading model is further proposed. The elimination mechanism effectively changes the behavior of traders, and a power-law behavior is observed in the measure of zero return distribution P(r=0). The trading model with other types of traders, e.g., traders with the MG’s strategies and producers, are also carefully studied.     

Saturable absorber design for efficient Q-switch laser operation

Q-switching properties of a laser with a saturable absorber (SA) are investigated. We propose an original method to optimize the transverse concentration profile of the SA inserted in the cavity. The resulting design considerations give the way to an optimal use of the SA over its whole transverse section. The optimization problem is formulated as a variational problem and then solved analytically using the calculus of variations. Replacing an uniform profile by an optimized profile, it is possible with the same number of molecules to increase the absorption at low intensity from a factor 1.9, while transmission at high intensity remains near to 100%. We further demonstrate that the optimization does not affect the transverse pattern properties of the laser emission (M² near 1).     

Shock waves generated by confined XeCl excimer laser ablation of polyimide

We investigate shock waves generated by excimer laser ablation of sheet polyimide confined in water. The velocities of the ablation-induced pressure waves in the water are determined by an optical probe system. We measure supersonic velocities up to a few hundred microns away from the irradiated surface, indicating the formation of shock waves. We use these velocities to calculate the corresponding pressures. They are already in the kbar range at fluences comparable to the threshold of ablation. The shock pressure varies as the square root of the incident laser fluence, a behavior that is explained by the rapid heating of the confined gaseous products of ablation.The initially planar shock waves propagate, become spherical, and decay within a few hundred microns in the surrounding water to acoustic waves. During spherical expansion the shock pressure drops as the inverse of the square of the propagation distance.The shock waves generated may be relevant in explaining photoacoustic damage observed in biological tissue after excimer-ablation at corresponding irradiances. They may also be important in material processing applications of excimer laser ablation of polymers as they can lead to plastic deformation.     

Effect of self assembly on the nonlinear optical characteristics of ZnO thin films

In the present work, we report the third order nonlinear optical properties of ZnO thin films deposited using self assembly, sol gel process as well as pulsed laser ablation by z scan technique. ZnO thin films clearly exhibit a negative nonlinear index of refraction at 532 nm and the observed nonlinear refraction is attributed to two photon absorption followed by free carrier absorption. Although the absolute nonlinear values for these films are comparable, there is a change in the sign of the absorptive nonlinearity of the films. The films developed by dip coating and pulsed laser ablation exhibit reverse saturable absorption whereas the self assembled film exhibits saturable absorption. These different nonlinear characteristics in the self assembled films can be mainly attributed to the saturation of linear absorption of the ZnO defect states.     

Application of point-group bases to f−fd transitions of lanthanide and actinide ions doped in crystals

The application of point-group coupling coefficients to the modeling of f^N↔f^N−1d transitions is discussed. There are several possible coupling schemes for the states of the f^N−1d configuration. Formulae for matrix elements of the Hamiltonian for the f^N−1d configuration and the relative line strengths for f^N↔f^N−1d transitions are derived. As an example, the f-d absorption spectrum of the crystal Yb²⁺: SrCl₂ is calculated using coupling coefficients based on the software developed by Butler and co-workers, which makes use of the Racah-Wigner calculus. The advantages and disadvantages of various coupling schemes are demonstrated. These coupling schemes are related to the simple model for f-d transitions.     

The content of unitarity constraints on a pomeron pole of intercept one

We present a consistent picture of a pomeron pole with intercept one, together with its cuts, which evades the decoupling arguments. We use the reggeon cut discontinuity formulae to introduce Gribov's reggeon calculus as an exact solution of multiparticle t-channel unitarity. We show how, within the calculus, two-pomeron iterations of a singular kernel can be responsible for the zero in the triple-pomeron vertex. Using the concept of a bare pomeron pole as a multiperipheral production process which is subsequently renormalised by other effects, we apply the reggeon calculus analysis to inclusive cross sections. We find that the inclusive sum rule decoupling arguments are avoided because of the addition of enhanced absorptive corrections to the conventional Regge pole contributions. However, we show that in this picture the combined pole and two-pomeron cut contribution to the total cross section factories to order (ln s)^?2.We also show that, when the correct helicity structure of the pomeron is taken into account, the s-channel unitarity condition for pomeron scattering amplitudes does not lead to any serious decouplings.     

Laser impulse coupling at 130 fs

We measured the momentum coupling coefficient C_m and laser-generated ion drift velocity and temperature in the femtosecond (fs) region, over a laser intensity range from ablation threshold to about one hundred times threshold. Targets were several pure metals and three organic compounds. The organic compounds were exothermic polymers specifically developed for the micro-laser plasma thruster, and two of these used “tuned absorbers” rather than carbon particles for laser absorption. The metals ranged from Li to W in atomic weight. We measured time of flight (TOF) profiles for ions. Specific impulse reached record values for this type of measurement and ablation efficiency was near 100%. These measurements extend the laser pulsewidth three orders of magnitude downward in pulsewidth relative to previous reports. Over this range, we found C_m to be essentially constant. Ion velocity ranged from 60 to 180 km/s.