Generation of giant elastic ultrashort shock waves in chromium films by femtosecond laser pulses

Abstract

Using the ultrafast chirped interferometry of picosecond resolution, the evolution of superelastic ultrashort shock waves has been studied in chromium films over propagation distances ranging from 440 to 1160 nm driving by laser pulses of 450 fs duration. The relationship between the shock wave and the particle velocity indicates the shock compression is elastic up to 23 GPa. The experimental data on a metastable elastic Hugoniot in this range were obtained. The achieved shear stress behind the shock wave 8.1 GPa is close enough to the calculated “ideal” shear strength of chromium.