Ultraviolet laser ablation of polycarbonate and glass in air

Abstract

The fundamental physical processes that follow ultraviolet laser ablation of polycarbonate and borosilicate glass in air have been investigated using photodeflection as a function of the distance from the surface to probe laser. Four features were observed in the data sets for each material. Two of these features correlate well with gas dynamical predictions for the expansion of the shock wave and gas plume. The third feature is consistent with the propagation of the popping sound of the laser ablation event. The final feature, which occurs at very early times and does not shift significantly in time as the surface to probe distance is increased from 0 to greater than 6 mm, has been tentatively ascribed to the ejection of fast electrons. The final significant observation is complete blocking of the probe laser, only observed during borosilicate ablation, which is attributed to scattering of the probe laser light by macroscopic SiOx particles that grow in the final stages of plume expansion and cooling.