Femtosecond laser-induced electronic plasma at metal surface

Journal Article · Mon Aug 04 00:00:00 EDT 2008 · Applied Physics Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.2966152· OSTI ID:21124056

Zhaoyang, Chen; Mao, Samuel S ^[1]

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1. Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720 (United States)

We develop a theoretical analysis to model plasma initiation at the early stage of femtosecond laser irradiation of metal surfaces. The calculation reveals that there is a threshold intensity for the formation of a microscale electronic plasma at the laser-irradidated metal surface. As the full width at half maximum of a laser pulse increases from 15 to 200 fs, the plasma formation threshold decreases by merely about 20%. The dependence of the threshold intensity on laser pulse width can be attributed to laser-induced surface electron emission, in particular due to the effect of photoelectric effect.

• OSTI ID: 21124056
• Journal Information: Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 93, Issue 5; Other Information: DOI: 10.1063/1.2966152; (c) 2008 American Institute of Physics; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0003-6951
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
ELECTRON EMISSION
LASER RADIATION
PHOTOELECTRIC EFFECT
PLASMA
PLASMA PRODUCTION
PLASMA SIMULATION
PULSES