Memory in Nonlinear Ionization of Transparent Solids

Journal Article · Fri Dec 22 00:00:00 EST 2006 · Physical Review Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PHYSREVLETT.97.253001· OSTI ID:20861518

Rajeev, P P; Simova, E; Hnatovsky, C; Taylor, R S; Rayner, D M; Corkum, P B ^[1]; Gertsvolf, M ^[1]; Bhardwaj, V R ^[2]

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1. National Research Council of Canada, Ottawa, K1A 0R6 (Canada)
2. Department of Physics, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, K1N 6N5 (Canada)

We demonstrate a shot-to-shot reduction in the threshold laser intensity for ionization of bulk glasses illuminated by intense femtosecond pulses. For SiO{sub 2} the threshold change serves as positive feedback reenforcing the process that produced it. This constitutes a memory in nonlinear ionization of the material. The threshold change saturates with the number of pulses incident at a given spot. Irrespective of the pulse energy, the magnitude of the saturated threshold change is constant ({approx}20%). However, the number of shots required to reach saturation does depend on the pulse energy. Recognition of a memory in ionization is vital to understand multishot optical or electrical breakdown phenomena in dielectrics.

• OSTI ID: 20861518
• Journal Information: Physical Review Letters, Vol. 97, Issue 25; Other Information: DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.97.253001; (c) 2006 The American Physical Society; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0031-9007
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS
DIELECTRIC MATERIALS
ELECTRICAL FAULTS
FEEDBACK
GLASS
IONIZATION
LASERS
NONLINEAR PROBLEMS
PULSES
SILICON OXIDES