Optical transmission and reflection of a plasma produced in nanosecond laser induced air breakdown

Abstract

In this paper, we investigate dynamics of optical breakdown in air induced by a pump- probe laser beam technique. The optical breakdown was generated by an Nd:YAG laser beam (operating at 10 ns pulse duration and 1064 nm wavelength). A small part of the beam was separated from the main beam by an optical splitter and was aligned to probe the breakdown plasma transversely. Monitoring the time resolved reflectivity from the breakdown plasma may give information on critical density and together with its transmittivity through the plasma provides information on plasma absorptivity. The results of this experiment can be also used to describe dynamics of breakdown plasma evolution.