PNNL

Abstract

The ions dynamics in ultrafast laser ablation of metals is studied over a fluence range spanning from the ablation threshold up to ~75 J/cm2 by means of three established diagnostic techniques. Langmuir probe, Faraday cup and spectrally resolved ICCD imaging simultaneously monitor the laser-produced plasma ions produced during ultrafast laser ablation of a copper target. The fluence dependence of ion yield is analyzed observing the occurrence of three different regimes. Moreover, the specific ion yield shows a maximum at about 4-5 J/cm2, followed by a gradual reduction and a transition to a high-fluence regime above ~50 J/cm2. The fluence variation of the copper ions angular distribution is also analyzed, observing a gradual increase of forward peaking of Cu ions for fluences up to ~10 J/cm2. Then, a broader ion component is observed at larger angles for fluences larger than ~10 J/cm2. Finally, an experimental characterization of the ions angular distribution for several metallic targets (Mg, Al, Cr, Fe, Cu, and W) is carried out at a relatively high fluence of ~66 J/cm2. Interestingly, the ion emission from the volatile metals show a narrow forward peaked distribution and a high peak ion yield compared to the refractory metals. Moreover, the width of ion angular distributions presents a striking correlation with the peak ion yield.