Structural and electronic properties of laser irradiated pure iron

The surface of a pure iron sample irradiated with a high power pulsed laser has been studied by UHV electron spectroscopies in the reflection mode (AES, EELS and EELFS) in order to verify the experimental hint of a laser induced non-crystalline surface layer.Our results point out that the local arrangement of atoms in the laser irradiated surface is not disorder-like: no significant differences in structural and electronic properties between irradiated and non-irradiated samples have been detected in the short-range limit (up to the fourth coordination shell).This result agrees with a theoretical computer calculation which predicts, for pure metals, a cooling rate of the order of 10¹⁰ K sec^?1 after the laser pulse, not sufficient to avoid recrystallization.