Increasing Laser Pulse Research Articles

Ignition of Coal Microparticles by Laser Pulses of The Second Harmonic of a Ndodymium Laser in the Q-Switched Regime

The ignition of pelletized samples of hard coals of the long-flame gas (DG), gas (G), fat (L), coke (K) grades with particle sizes ≤63 μm by laser pulses (λ = 532 nm, τi = 10 ns) was studied. When the critical radiation energy density Hcr(1), specific for each grade of coal, is exceeded, an optical breakdown occurs and a dense plasma with a continuous emission spectrum is formed. As the plasma expands and rarefies, the spectra show the emission of carbon ions CII, excited nitrogen atoms N, excited carbon molecules C2, and carbon monoxide CO. The plasma glow intensity peaks at the end of the laser pulse, and the glow relaxation time is ~1 μs. The plasma glow amplitude increases nonlinearly with increasing laser pulse energy density. At radiation energy density H ≥ Hcr(2), specific for each grade of coal, thermochemical reactions are initiated in the volume of microparticles and coal particles are ignited in a submillisecond time interval.

Characterization of Carbide Precipitation in Low-Carbon Martensitic Steels Using an Ultrawide Field-of-View 3D Atom Probe.

It is important to understand the carbide distribution around high-energy sites such as dislocations and grain boundaries in martensitic steels as they have a major influence on the alloy performance. The aim of this study is to characterize fine ε carbides precipitated in low-carbon lath martensitic steel using the ultrawide field-of-view (FoV) CAMECA Invizo 6000 atom probe. We demonstrate the advantages of the wide FoV and determine the optimum conditions for analysis, by comparing the results such as the background noise and the C++/C+ charge state ratio (CSR) between voltage-pulsed and laser-pulsed modes. Increasing the laser pulse energy decreased the background noise and the CSR, where 70 pJ laser pulse energy produced a comparable mass-to-charge ratio spectrum to that recorded in voltage-pulsed mode, with the bulk compositions of C, Si, and Mn closest to that measured using voltage-pulsed mode. Increasing laser pulse energies to above 300 pJ decreased the bulk carbon content, with a more diffuse distribution of carbon around the carbides. This paper outlines some of the important experimental considerations when performing quantitative study of carbide precipitation in low-carbon martensitic steels using the Invizo 6000, considerations that can also be applied to other ferrous and non-ferrous alloy systems.

Structural and chemical study of complex silver patterns additively manufactured by multi-photon reduction

Multi-photon reduction (MPR) based on femtosecond laser makes rapid prototyping and molding in micro-nano scale feasible, but is limited in material selectivity due to lack of the understanding of the reaction mechanism in MPR process. In this paper, additively manufacturing of complex silver-based patterns through MPR is demonstrated. The effects of laser parameters, including laser pulse energies and scanning speeds, on the structural and chemical characteristics of the printed structures are systematically investigated. The results show that the geometric size of printed cubes deviates from the designed size further by increasing laser pulse energy or decreasing scanning speed. The reaction mechanism of MPR is revealed by studying the elemental composition and chemical structures of printed cubes. The evolution of Raman spectra upon the laser processing parameters suggests that the MPR process mainly includes two processes: reduction and decomposition. In the MPR process, silver ions are reduced and grow into particles by accepting the electrons from ethonal molecules; meanwhile carboxyl groups in polyvinylpyrrolidone are decomposed and form amorphous carbon that is attached on the surface of silver particles. The conductivity of silver wires fabricated by MPR reaches 2 × 105 S m−1 and stays relatively constant as varying their cross section area, suggesting excellent electrical conduction. The understanding of the MPR process would accelerate the development of MPR technology and the implementation of MPR in micro-electromechanical systems could therefore be envisioned.

Characteristics of aluminium nitride thin film prepared by pulse laser deposition with varying laser pulses

In this work, the studies of Aluminium Nitride (AlN) thin film deposited on silicon (Si) (111) substrate using the pulsed laser deposition (PLD) method, specifically under different number of laser pulses, were performed. From the electron micrographs, the samples exhibited a densely packed granular morphology. The film thickness, particle size, and surface roughness were found to be increasing along with number of laser pulses. X-ray diffraction analysis revealed all AlN samples to have hexagonal wurtzite structure. Additionally, the calculated lattice constants suggest AlN experiences inward biaxial stress during growth. This was in agreement with the Raman results, aside from substantiating the presence of AlN with (100) and (101) plane to be grown. Room temperature photoluminescence (PL) measurements showed band-edge emission was attributed to AlN along with some defect-related bands. Additionally, the band-edge emission shifted to higher photon energy, i.e. 5.49–5.89 eV with increasing laser pulses. Such observations were consistent with that obtained from UV–Vis spectroscopy.

Characterization of Nanocrystalline SnS Thin Film Fabricated used PLD Method for Photodetection Applications

Pulsed laser deposition was used to create tin sulfide (SnS) nanoparticles with a Nd:YAG laser (700 mJ) with laser pulses of (200, 250, 300, and 350 pulses). Nanoparticles were created and investigated using XRD, AFM, and UV-Vis spectroscopy to understand their optical, topographical, and electrical properties. After that, a SnS photodetector was built for the first time, and its performance, photoresponse, and sensitivity were evaluated. The development of monocrystalline SnS films was confirmed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) examination. Clear crystallization with increased crystalline size and the optimum orientation was observed in the sample synthesized SnS thin film treated with 300 pulses. The crystallite size increased from 44 at 200 to 77 nm for 350 pulses. These films were characterized by better surface morphology with (111) preferred crystals. In addition, atomic force microscopy (AFM) studies showed that the average diameter of generated SnS nanoparticles rose from (39.4 nm to 64.7) nm when the laser pulses increased in pulsed laser deposition. Transmission measurements were used to determine the films' absorption coefficient energy gap (Eg), and they showed that the optical transition was direct and that the transmittance value dropped with increasing laser pulses. Band gap energy is reduced from 2.139 to 1.773 eV. Moreover, Hall Effect measurements on all samples demonstrate that all thin films were n-type, with charge carrier concentration increasing with increased pulses and carrier mobility decreasing with increased pulses. The photodetectors ' photosensitivity was evaluated in the dark after depositing Al contacts on SnS thin films through a metal mask. The Pulses of enhancement cause a red shift in the values of particular detectivity and quantum efficiency. The highest responsivity was obtained at 350 pulses, 6.72×10−1 AW−1. The high (QE) of 150% at 200 p and detectivity of 2.9×1011 cm, Hz1/2.W-1 at 300p.

Performance of brushite plaster as kidney stone phantoms for laser lithotripsy.

Artificial phantoms used in photothermal near-infrared laser lithotripsy research generally fail to mimic both the chemical and the physical properties of human stones. Though high-energy, 1J pulses are capable of fracturing hard human stones into several large fragments along natural boundaries, similar behavior has not been observed in commonly used gypsum plasters like BegoStone. We developed a new brushite-based plaster formulation composed of ≈90% brushite that undergoes rapid fracture in the manner of human stones under fragmentation pulse regimes. Single-pulse (1J) ablation crater volumes for phantoms were not significantly different from those of pure brushite stones. Control over crater volumes was demonstrated by varying phosphorous acid concentration in the plaster formulation. Fragmentation of cylindrical brushite phantoms was filmed using a high-speed camera which demonstrated rapid fragmentation in < 100µs during the bubble expansion phase of a short pulse from a high-powered Ho:YAG laser (Lumenis Pulse 120H). The rapid nature of observed fracture suggests increasing laser pulse energy by increasing laser pulse duration will not improve fragmentation performance of laser lithotripters. Brushite plaster phantoms are a superior alternative to gypsum plasters for laser lithotripsy research due to their better mimicry of stone composition, controllable single-pulse crater volumes, and fragmentation behavior.

Influence of plasma inhomogeneity and ohmic heating on the nonlinear absorption of intense laser pulse in collisional magnetized plasma

AbstractThe nonlinear absorption in the interaction of an intense laser pulse with a collisional magnetized plasma is studied by considering the effects of plasma inhomogeneity, ohmic heating, and ponderomotive force. For this purpose, we obtain the plasma electron density, the effective dielectric permittivity, and the wave equation using the Maxwell and hydrodynamic equations and solve this equation by the Runge–Kutta numerical method. The results are shown that by increasing the plasma inhomogeneity, the inverse bremsstrahlung absorption coefficient is increased, and also the density ramp parameter and its sign can affect more the absorption coefficient than the temperature ramp parameter . However, when the initial electron density and temperature increase, the laser field amplitude and the absorption coefficient are increased and the spatial damping rate of the laser pulse becomes highly peaked inside the plasma. It is shown by increasing laser pulse energy, the nonlinear bremsstrahlung absorption coefficient is decreased significantly. The results also indicate that by increasing the external magnetic field, the dielectric permittivity is decreased while the laser energy spatial damping, and the absorption coefficient are increased. Moreover, it is found that by considering the ohmic heating effect, the electrons absorb further energy from the fields and consequently the nonlinear absorption is increased.

From Localized Laser Energy Absorption to Absorption Delocalization at Volumetric Glass Modification with Gaussian and Doughnut-Shaped Pulses

Volumetric modification of transparent materials by femtosecond laser pulses is successfully used in a wide range of practical applications. The level of modification is determined by the locally absorbed energy density, which depends on numerous factors. In this work, it is shown experimentally and theoretically that, in a certain range of laser pulse energies, the peak of absorption of laser radiation for doughnut-shaped (DS) pulses is several times higher than for Gaussian ones. This fact makes the DS pulses very attractive for material modification and direct laser writing applications. Details of the interactions of laser pulses of Gaussian and doughnut shapes with fused silica obtained by numerical simulations are presented for different pulse energies and compared with the experimentally obtained data. The effect of absorbed energy delocalization with increasing laser pulse energy is demonstrated for both beam shapes, while at relatively low pulse energies, the DS beam geometry provides stronger local absorption compared to the Gaussian geometry. The implications of a DS pulse action for post-irradiation material evolution are discussed based on thermoelastoplastic modeling.

Oxidation mechanism of high-volume fraction SiCp/Al composite under laser irradiation and subsequent machining

Conventional mechanical machining of a composite material comprising an aluminum matrix reinforced with a high volume fraction of SiC particles (hereinafter referred to as an SiCp/Al composite) faces problems such as rapid tool wear, high specific cutting force, and poor surface integrity. Instead, a promising method for solving these problems is laser-induced oxidation-assisted milling (LOAM): under laser irradiation, the local workpiece material reacts with oxygen, thus forming loose and porous oxides that are easily removed. In the present work, the oxidation mechanism of SiCp/Al irradiated by a nanosecond pulsed laser is studied to better understand the laser-induced oxidation behavior and control the characteristics of the oxides, with laser irradiation experiments performed on a 65% SiCp/Al composite with various laser parameters and auxiliary gases (oxygen, nitrogen, and argon). With increasing laser pulse energy density, both the ablated groove depth and the width of the heat-affected zone increase. When oxygen is used as the auxiliary gas, an oxide layer composed of SiO2 and Al2O3 forms, and CO2 is produced and escapes from the material, thereby forming pores in the oxides. However, when nitrogen or argon is used as the auxiliary gas, a recast layer is produced that is relatively difficult to remove. Under laser irradiation, the sputtered material reacts with oxygen to form oxides on both sides of the ablated groove, and as the laser scanning path advances, the produced oxides accumulate to form an oxide layer. LOAM and conventional milling are compared using the same milling parameters, and LOAM is found to be better for reduced milling force and tool wear and improved machined surface quality.

Optical Properties of GaAs Nanoparticles in Acetone by Laser Ablation

Gallium arsenide (GaAs) nanoparticles' optical and emission properties can be tuned bychanging their size across the visible spectrum. GaAs nanoparticles' optical characteristics aredegraded by oxidation on their surface. This work investigated the optical constants and the opticalband gap for a GaAs nanoparticle immersed in acetone using the laser ablation into liquids (LAL)technique after being exposed to a Nd: YAG pulsed laser operating at the wavelength (1064nm)10Hz frequency, and 7ns pulse width for a fixed flounce of 1.32 J/cm2, and the time of ablationwas 5 minutes. In order to calculate the optical conductivity (σ), refractive index (n), extinctioncoefficient (k), dielectric constant, absorption coefficient (α), and optical band gap, an opticalinvestigation was carried out utilizing a UV-Visible Spectrophotometer region in the wavelengthrange 300-1200 nm. The band gap energy was determined to be 3.8 eV, which is greater than thebulk Ga energy. The band gap energy of nanoparticles increases with increasing laser pulse energyand decreases with increasing pulse repetition rate. Transmission spectra increased as wavelengthsincreased, while optical absorption coefficients, extinction coefficients, and refractive coefficientsdecreased. The difference in optical constants is explained by defect states and the average bandenergy of the system. The acetone stability test reveals a peak at -0.69 mV, indicating low stabilityin nanoparticles.

Selective Crystallization of Ferroelectric HfxZr1–xO2 via Excimer Laser Annealing

Herein, we report the ferroelectricity of HfxZr1–xO2 (HZO) thin films crystallized via excimer laser annealing at 25 °C under atmospheric conditions. We characterized the structure and antiferroelectric/ferroelectric properties of HZO thin films using X-ray diffraction and standard polarization–voltage hysteresis. The laser-annealed Hf0.5Zr0.5O2 thin film was gradually crystallized with increasing laser pulse number. The HZO thin film series exhibited systemic changes in antiferroelectric/ferroelectric properties with variations in Zr concentration. In addition, we constructed a phase diagram of laser-annealed HZO thin films.

Decomposition of CrN induced by laser-assisted atom probe tomography

It is known that measurement parameters can significantly influence the elemental composition determined by atom probe tomography (APT). Especially results obtained by laser-assisted APT show a strong effect of the laser pulse energy on the apparent elemental composition. Within this study laser-assisted APT experiments were performed on Cr0.51N0.49 and thermally more stable (Cr0.47Al0.53)0.49N0.51, comparing two different base temperatures (i.e. 15 and 60 K), laser wavelengths (i.e. 532 and 355 nm) and systematically modified laser pulse energies. Absolute chemical compositions from laser-assisted APT were compared to data obtained from ion beam analysis. The deduced elemental composition of CrN exhibited a strong increase of the Cr content when the laser pulse energy was increased for both laser wavelengths. For low laser pulse energies Cr, CrN, N and N2 ions were identified, while the amount of detected Cr ions increased and the amount of N ions strongly decreased at higher laser pulse energies. Further, increased detection of more complex Cr-containing ions such as Cr2N at the expense of CrN was observed at higher pulse energies. At the highest pulse energy levels used within this work, the resulting Cr content was > 80 at%, dominated by the amount of detected elemental Cr ions. The change of the mass spectrum of the detected ions with increasing laser pulse energy provides evidence that high laser pulse energies initiate the decomposition of CrN during the APT measurement, consistent with the known thermal decomposition path into Cr2N and subsequently into Cr and gaseous N. In contrast, variation of the laser pulse energy for the thermally more stable CrAlN resulted only in a slight increase of Cr and a decrease of the resulting concentrations of Al and N with increasing laser pulse energy and no change in the type of detected ions. In conclusion, within the present study, the decomposition of a coating material with low thermal stability induced by laser-assisted APT was reported for the first time, emphasizing the importance of the selection of suitable measurement parameters for metastable materials, which are prone to thermal decomposition.

Etch the borosilicate glass to form a straight through-glass-via based on the FLACE technology

Interposers will become in demand for advanced electronic systems and through the substrate, vias are essential for 3D integration. A straight via is necessary because a tapered hole is accompanied by large signal loss. This article reports a straight through-glass-via (TGV) fabricated by femtosecond laser-assisted chemical etching (FLACE). The femtosecond laser was used to modify the glass substrates, and the modified glass samples were etched with hydrofluoric acid (HF) solution to form TGV. The effects of key processing parameters, including laser pulse energy, the number of burst pulses, and the HF solution concentration, on the TGV taper profile, were systematically investigated. It was found that The TGV taper sidewall angle decreases with increasing laser pulse energy and increases with increasing HF solution concentration. The number of bursts should be optimized because more than 10 bursts would prevent TGV formation. The study shows via etched in 3 wt% HF after irradiation with 3 bursts of 60 μJ can become approximately vertical. Among the three processing parameters, HF concentration was found to be the most crucial parameter. This work can serve as a critical reference for applications of TGV in high-performance 3D integrated circuits.

Numerical and experimental study on the behavior of vortex rings generated by shock–bubble interaction

In this study, three-dimensional numerical simulations and experiments of the interaction between a normal shock and bubbles generated by the repetitive energy depositions of a laser pulse in a Mach 1.92 flow was conducted. As a result of the shock–bubble interaction, a vortex ring, caused by a baroclinic effect, was generated. Owing to the self-induced velocity field, the advection velocity of the vortex rings decreased with increasing laser pulse energy. In the experiments, when interactions among the vortex rings became strong, separations in transverse directions between adjacent bubbles were induced. This was reproduced through numerical simulations by imposing an artificial disturbance in the initial positions of the bubbles, i.e., by 5% of the bubble diameter in a transversal direction. The asymmetric behaviors of a row of vortex rings were classified into three patterns based on the ratio of the distance between the vortex rings to the size of the vortex rings (λ: inverse Strouhal number). In pattern 1, with λ &amp;gt;2.9, there was negligible interference between the vortex rings because the interval of the vortex rings was sufficiently large. In pattern 2, with λ = 0.97–1.2, separation in the vortex-ring rows appeared, and the separation angle increased as λ decreased. In pattern 3, with λ &amp;lt;0.62, the interference intensified, and the vortex rings collapsed, forming a turbulent flow behind the shock wave.

CuInS2 Quantum Dot and Polydimethylsiloxane Nanocomposites for All‐Optical Ultrasound and Photoacoustic Imaging

Adv. Mater. Interfaces 2021, 8, 2100518 DOI: 10.1002/admi.202100518 In the originally published article, Figure 2b displays an incorrect x-axis label reading “Laser Fluence [μJ]” instead of “Laser Pulse Energy [μJ]”. Here, the authors provide an updated version of Figure 2, featuring the correct version of Figure 2b with the proper x-axis label which reads “Laser Pulse Energy [μJ]”. The corresponding caption should read “b) Ultrasound pressures measured from CIS-PDMS coating from increasing laser pulse energies.” rather than “b) Ultrasound pressures measured from CIS-PDMS coating from different laser pulse energies.” as seen in the revised figure. The authors state that this correction does not affect or alter the findings of this paper including subsequent data analysis and apologise for the confusion and inconvenience caused by this error.

Features of ion generation by a picosecond laser in the range of 1011–1013 W cm−2 power densities

Picosecond lasers (ps-lasers) have significant advantages for the generation of low charge state ions compared to nanosecond lasers because the influence of heat conductivity on a solid target is almost negligible in the case of ps-laser ablation for laser pulse durations less than 10 ps. However, there is no comprehensive data on ion yields for different elements and target irradiation conditions for laser power densities at the target surface around and below 1013 W cm−2, which is of interest to our study of such plasmas as a source of low charge state ions for various applications, particularly for external injection of those ions into an Electron Beam Ion Source (EBIS). We investigated ion generation from Al, Ti, Cu, Nb and Ta target elements by a ps-laser with power densities in the range of 1011–1013 W cm−2 at the target surface. A ps-laser with 1.27 mJ maximum energy within an 8 ps pulse and repetition rate up to 400 Hz has been used to generate a laser-ablated plasma. Dependencies of ion current versus time, total charge of registered ions as well as ion kinetic energy distributions are characterized using a Faraday cup. Significant difference in ion current dynamics between first, second and following shots onto the same target spot was found for all five target elements. The total charge of ions registered by the Faraday cup increases linearly with increasing laser pulse energy and is almost independent of the target element and number of shots onto the same target spot for all five target elements studied. The results obtained give us a basis for specification and design of the source of low charge state ions for external injection into EBIS.

Surface characterization of laser-induced molten area in micro-grooving of silicon by ultraviolet (UV) laser

The objective of this research is to understand the fundamental mechanisms that govern the formation of laser-induced molten area during the micro-grooved fabrication on silicon material. In this research work, micro grooves were fabricated on silicon wafer by using ultraviolet (UV) laser of 248nm wavelength. Influence of lasing parameters such as pulse duration, laser pulse energy and scanning speed on the surface of micro-grooved was characterized. It is found that, the width of the micro grooves become wider with increasing laser pulse energy when ultraviolet laser was irradiated on silicon material. On the other hand, heat affected zone (HAZ) can be found at the surface of micro groove line at high pulse energy, high pulse repetition rate and lower scanning speed irradiation condition. This is considered due to the excessive heat input of the laser irradiation condition. It is concluded that proper selection of laser processing parameters of pulse energy, E, pulse repetition rate, R p , and scanning speed is necessary to achieve high quality micro-grooves.

Pulse width dependence of magnetic field generation using laser-powered capacitor coils

Megagauss magnetic fields were generated by a current flowing through a U-shaped coil connecting two parallel copper foils. Two kJ-class lasers at various pulse widths from 2 ns to 9.9 ns passed through holes in the front foil and were focused on the back foil with an intensity of ∼1.7×1016 W/cm2. The coil current and resulting magnetic fields were characterized using ultrafast proton radiography, timed at the end of the laser pulses. The measurements show that magnetic field strength decays with increasing laser pulse width. A lumped-circuit model was developed and showed consistency with the experimental measurements, demonstrating an ion shorting effect: as the ion current neutralizes the electron current contribution to interplate voltage, the coil current peaks on a timescale close to the ion transit time ti=d/vion. FLASH simulations of the coil current are performed, and the calculated resistance values are used to constrain ion speed as a function of hot electron temperature.

Quantum estimation in strong fields: In situ ponderomotive sensing

We develop a new framework to optimize and understand uncertainty from in situ strong field measurements of laser field parameters. We present the first derivation of quantum and classical Fisher information for an electron undergoing strong-field ionization. This is used for parameter estimation and to characterize the uncertainty of the ponderomotive energy, directly proportional to laser intensity. In particular, the quantum and classical Fisher information for the momentum basis displays quadratic scaling over time. This can be linked to above-threshold ionization interference rings for measurements in the momentum basis and to the `ponderomotive phase' for the `ideal' quantum measurements. Preferential scaling is found for increasing laser pulse length and intensity. We use this to demonstrate for in situ measurements of laser intensity, that high resolution momentum spectroscopy has the capacity to reduce the uncertainty by over $25$ times compared to measurements employing the ionization rate, while using the `ideal' quantum measurement would reduce it by a further factor of $2.6$. A minimum uncertainty of the order $2.8 \times 10^{-3}~\%$ is theorized for this framework. Finally, we examine previous in situ measurements formulating a measurement that matches the experimental procedure and suggest how to improve this.

Impact of Laser Fluence in Modifying the Surface Characteristics of Laser-Treated Monocrystalline Zinc

Zinc single crystal specimens were irradiated with pulsed Nd:YAG laser in vacuum. Keeping the number of laser shots constant (10 shots), laser energy was varied from 50 to 150 mJ, whereas the corresponding laser fluence was 97 to 292 J cm−2, respectively. Using optical microscope, the dimensions (area and perimeter) of laser ablated region on the surface of each specimen were measured. Both parameters increased, in general, on increasing laser pulse energy. Examination of surface morphology by scanning electron microscope revealed formation of pores, grooves, cracks, bubbles, micron-size rods, ripples, ridges, cavities, microcones, and solid flakes, etc. Surface roughness had no systematic dependence on the laser pulse energy. Structural parameters, i.e., texture coefficient, lattice strain, and crystallite size, were determined by means of Harris analysis as well as Williamson–Hall analysis of the XRD patterns of specimens. The variation of lattice strain and crystallite size with laser fluence or laser pulse energy was alike. Surface hardness decreased on increasing laser fluence, and followed classical Hall–Petch relation.