Investigation of laser ablation of fused and crystal silica and natural silicates induced by pulsed CO2 laser irradiation -: art. no. 60530T

The process of laser ablation of fused and crystal silica and natural silicates induced by pulsed CO2 laser irradiation (total pulse duration of 35 mu s, laser pulse rise time of 0.1 mu s, pulse energy of 10J) has been studied. By action of focused laser radiation at the surface of samples the appearance of erosion plume at the irradiated surface take place. For study of ablation regimes the frame image of laser induced plume by use of high speed photography method with 2 microsecond expose of each frame have been made. It has been observed the formation of two different type of laser plume during laser pulse action. First type plume represents a long narrow plume with the onset close to start of laser pulse. The maximal length of this plume is about of 20 millimeter. The second type of plume represents a conical plume with the onset, which is late from laser pulse start for a few microsecond. The first type plume expands in to laser beam direction. The second type plume expands normal to the surface. The velocity of laser plume particles by means of measurements of moment transferred into samples during laser pulse action has been measured. It has been obtained, that value of this velocity varies in region of (1 divided by 3)(.)10(3) m/s in dependence of laser fluency value. The appearance of first time plume have a threshold which equal to 0.30 kJ/cm(2) whereas the appearance of second type plume have not a such threshold and may take place at low laser fluency. We believe, that the first type plume connects with the selective ablation of SimOn complexes whereas second type plume connects with the thermal heating caused by dissipation of laser energy in to system of low frequency acoustics phonons.