A general continuum approach to describe fast electronic transport in pulsed laser irradiated materials: The problem of Coulomb explosion

We present a continuum model, based on a drift-diffusion approach, aimed at describing the dynamics of electronic excitation, heating, and charge-carrier transport in different materials (metals, semiconductors, and dielectrics) under femtosecond and nanosecond pulsed laser irradiation. The laser-induced charging of the targets is investigated at laser intensities above the material removal threshold. It is demonstrated that, for near-infrared femtosecond irradiation, charging of dielectric surfaces causes a sub-picosecond electrostatic rupture of the superficial layers, alternatively called Coulomb explosion (CE), while this effect is strongly inhibited for metals and semiconductors as a consequence of superior carrier transport properties. On the other hand, application of the model to UV nanosecond pulsed laser interaction with bulk silicon has pointed out the possibility of Coulomb explosion in semiconductors. For such regimes a simple analytical theory for the threshold laser fluence of CE has been developed, showing results in agreement with the experimental observations. Various related aspects concerning the possibility of CE depending on different irradiation parameters (fluence, wavelength and pulse duration) and material properties are discussed. This includes the temporal and spatial dynamics of charge-carrier generation in non-metallic targets and evolution of the reflection and absorption characteristics.