Nanosecond-to-femtosecond laser-induced breakdown in dielectrics

Journal Article · Mon Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1996 · Physical Review, B: Condensed Matter

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.53.1749· OSTI ID:278537

Stuart, B C; Feit, M D; Herman, S; Rubenchik, A M; Shore, B W; Perry, M D ^[1]

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1. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, P.O. Box 808, L-493, Livermore, California 94550 (United States)

We report extensive laser-induced damage threshold measurements on dielectric materials at wavelengths of 1053 and 526 nm for pulse durations {tau} ranging from 140 fs to 1 ns. Qualitative differences in the morphology of damage and a departure from the diffusion-dominated {tau}{sup 1/2} scaling of the damage fluence indicate that damage occurs from ablation for {tau}{le}10 ps and from conventional melting, boiling, and fracture for {tau}{approx_gt}50 ps. We find a decreasing threshold fluence associated with a gradual transition from the long-pulse, thermally dominated regime to an ablative regime dominated by collisional and multiphoton ionization, and plasma formation. A theoretical model based on electron production via multiphoton ionization, Joule heating, and collisional (avalanche) ionization is in quantitative agreement with the experimental results.

• Research Organization: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-48
• OSTI ID: 278537
• Journal Information: Physical Review, B: Condensed Matter, Journal Name: Physical Review, B: Condensed Matter Journal Issue: 4 Vol. 53; ISSN 0163-1829; ISSN PRBMDO
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
ABLATION
AVALANCHE QUENCHING
BREAKDOWN
DAMAGE
DIELECTRIC MATERIALS
JOULE HEATING
LASER RADIATION
MORPHOLOGY
PHOTOIONIZATION
PHYSICAL RADIATION EFFECTS
PULSED IRRADIATION
THRESHOLD ENERGY