Interaction of laser radiation with matter. Laser plasma

Optical surface breakdown of alkali halide crystals by microsecond pulses from a wide-aperture CO₂ laser

S. G. Kazantsev

Federal State Unitary Enterprise I. S. Kos'minov State Scientific-Research Test Laser Centre of Russian Federation "Raduga", Raduzhnyi, Vladimir region

Abstract: A study was made of the dynamics of temporal and spatial changes in the spectral characteristics of plasmas. A three-stage mechanism of the damage to surfaces of alkali halide crystals by microsecond pulses from a TEA CO₂ laser was proposed: breakdown initiation (at a distance of 3 — 5 mm from the surface with a time delay up to 1 μs relative to the leading edge of a laser pulse), evaporation (after a further delay of 3 — 5 μs), and interaction of the adsorbates with a plasma jet and with the laser radiation, as well as heating and cracking of a crystal by the UV plasma radiation.

PACS: 61.80.Ba, 52.50.Jm

Received: 10.10.1997

 English version: Quantum Electronics, 1998, 28:4, 322–325

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