Laser-ablation-induced refractive index fields studied using pulsed digital holographic interferometry

Pulsed digital holographic interferometry has been used to investigate the plume and the shock wave generated in the ablation process of a Q-switched Nd-YAG (λ=1064 nm and pulse duration=12 ns) laser pulse on a polycrystalline boron nitride (PCBN) target under atmospheric air pressure. A special setup based on two synchronised wavelengths from the same laser for simultaneous processing and measurement has been used. Digital holograms were recorded for different time delays using collimated laser light (λ=532 nm) passed through the volume along the target. Numerical data of the integrated refractive index field were calculated and presented as phase maps showing the propagation of the shock wave and the plume generated by the process. Radon inversion has been used to estimate the 3D refractive index fields measured from the projections assuming rotational symmetry. The shock wave density has been calculated using the point explosion model and the shock wave condition equation and its behaviour with time at different power densities ranging from 1.4 to 9.1 GW/cm² is presented. Shock front densities have been calculated from the reconstructed refractive index fields using the Gladstone–Dale equation. A comparison of the shock front density calculated from the reconstructed data and that calculated using the point explosion model at different time delays has been done. The comparison shows quite good agreement between the model and the experimental data. Finally the reconstructed refractive index field has been used to estimate the electron number density distribution within the laser-induced plasma. The electron number density behaviour with distance from the target at different power densities and its behaviour with time are shown. The electron number densities are found to be in the order of 10¹⁸ cm^?3 and decay at a rate of 3×10¹⁵ electrons/cm³ ns.