D. Hébert

Experimental observations and modeling of nanoparticle formation in laser-produced expanding plasma

Interaction of a laser beam with a target may generate a high velocity expanding plasma plume, solid debris, and liquid nano- and microparticles. They can be produced from plasma recombination, vapor condensation or by a direct expulsion of the heated liquid phase. Two distinct sizes of particles are observed depending on the temperature achieved in the plasma plume: Micrometer-size fragments for temperatures lower than the critical temperature, and nanometer-size particles for higher temperatures. The paper presents experimental observations of fragments and nanoparticles in plasma plumes created from gold targets. These results are compared with theoretical models of vapor condensation and microparticle formation.

Evaluation of the fused silica thermal conductivity by comparing infrared thermometry measurements with two-dimensional simulations

A self-consistent approach is proposed to determine the temperature dependent thermal conductivity k(T) of fused silica, for a range of temperatures up to material evaporation using a CO2 laser irradiation. Calculation of the temperature of silica using a two-dimensional axi-symmetric code was linked step by step as the laser power was increased with experimental measurements using infrared thermography. We show that previously reported k(T) does not reproduce the temporal profile as well as our adaptive fit which shows that k(T) evolves with slope discontinuities at the annealing temperature and the softening temperature.

Impact of two CO(2) laser heatings for damage repairing on fused silica surface.

CO(2) laser is an interesting tool to repair defects on silica optics. We studied UV nanosecond laser-induced damage in fused silica after CO(2) laser heating. The localization of damage sites and the laser damage threshold are closely related to stress area in silica induced by heating. By applying a suitable second laser heating, we managed to eliminate the debris issued from redeposited silica and to modify the stress area. As a consequence, a significant increase of laser resistance has been observed. This process offers the possibility to improve damage repairing sufficiently to extend the lifetime of the silica components.

Infrared thermometry and interferential microscopy for analysis of crater formation at the surface of fused silica under CO2 laser irradiation

In situ spatial and temporal temperature measurements of a fused silica surface heated by a 10.6 μm CO2 laser were performed using an infrared camera. These measurements were derived from heat flux emission of the fused silica. High temperature measurements—in the range 400–2500 K—were performed at the surface of a semi-transparent media with a high spatial resolution. Particular attention was given to the experimental conception and to the calibration of the infrared device. Moreover, both conventional and interferential microscopes were used to characterize the silica surfaces after CO2 laser irradiation. By associating these results with thermal camera measurements we identified the major surface temperature levels of silica transformation when heated during 250 ms. Surface deformation of silica is observed for temperatures <2000 K. This is consistent with other recent work using CO2 laser heating. At higher temperatures, matter ejection, as deduced from microscope observations, occurs at temperatures ...

Formation of nanocavities in dielectrics: A self-consistent modeling

Tight focusing of a subpicosecond laser pulse in transparent dielectrics is an efficient way to release laser energy and to produce plasma. A micro-explosion results in a submicrometer cavity formation if the deposited laser energy exceeds a threshold. A self-consistent model is developed that describes this process. The energy deposition is described by a full set of Maxwell’s equations in the three-dimensional geometry and it accounts for nonlinear propagation phenomena in the femtosecond time scale. The calculated energy deposition is transferred to a hydrodynamic code that describes the cavity formation. Numerical simulations show that cavity size in silica depends strongly on the latent heat of sublimation. An equation of state is developed and introduced into the hydrodynamic model that takes into account the influence of such material parameters as the binding energy, the bulk modulus, and the Gruneisen coefficient. The cavity and shock-affected region sizes are compared to experimental data. This ...

A KDP equation of state for laser-induced damage applications

High power lasers such as NIF in the USA or LMJ in France are being developed for inertial confinement fusion applications. However, the performance of the optics is limited by laser-induced damage (LID), which occurs, for instance, in the potassium dihydrogen phosphate (KH2PO4 or KDP) crystals utilized for frequency conversion. An accurate equation of state (EOS) is required to explain the LID process and to predict damage size. For the design of such EOS, a pulsed electron beam was used to generate a quasi-plane stress wave of 0.7 GPa in KDP. The sample response was deduced from photonic Doppler velocimetry. Equations of state and deviatoric stress components are designed and compared to experimental data. They are used in laser-induced bulk damage simulations, showing that strength may play a significant role.

Numerical study of laser ablation on aluminum for shock-wave applications: development of a suitable model by comparison with recent experiments

Abstract. In order to control laser-induced shock processes, two main points of interest must be fully understood: the laser–matter interaction generating a pressure loading from a given laser intensity profile and the propagation of induced shock waves within the target. This work aims to build a predictive model for laser shock-wave experiments with two grades of aluminum at low to middle intensities (50 to 500u2009u2009GW/cm2) using the hydrodynamic Esther code. This one-dimensional Lagrangian code manages both laser–matter interaction and shocks propagation. The numerical results are compared to recent experiments conducted on the transportable laser shocks generator facility. The results of this work motivate a discussion on the shock behavior dependence to elastoplasticity and fracturation models. Numerical results of the rear surface velocity show a good agreement with the experimental results, and it appears that the response of the material to the propagating shock is well predicted. The Esther code associated to this developed model can therefore be considered as a reliable predictive code for laser ablation and shock-wave experiments with pure aluminum and 6061 aluminum in the mentioned range of parameters. The pressure–intensity relationship generated by the Esther code is compared to previously established relationships.

Role of suprathermal electrons during nanosecond laser energy deposit in fused silica

An accurate description of interaction between a nanosecond laser pulse and a wide band gap dielectric, such as fused silica, requires the understanding of energy deposit induced by temperature changes occurring in the material. In order to identify the fundamental processes involved in laser-matter interaction, we have used a 1D computational model that allows us to describe a wide set of physical mechanisms and intended for comparison with specially designed “1D experiments.” We have pointed out that suprathermal electrons are very likely implicated in heat conduction, and this assumption has allowed the model to reproduce the experiments.

Laser-Matter Interaction in Transparent Materials: Confined Micro-explosion and Jet Formation

High intensity laser beam was tightly focussed inside bulk of dielectrics at adjustable distance from the outer boundary (1-15 µm). Laser- matter interaction region is thus confined inside a cold and dense material, with and without boundary effects. In what follows we first describe self-consistently the relevant laser-matter interaction physics. At high intensity of the laser beam in a focal region (> 6 × 10 12 W/cm 2 ) the material is converted into a hot and dense plasma. The shock and rarefaction waves propagation, formation of a void inside the target are all described. Then, a model was developed to predict size of the voids in the bulk of materials, i.e. without boundary effects. Results were compared to experimental observations. The size of a void formed by 800 nm 150 fs laser pulses is ~0.2 µm 3 . Finally we present new results in confined geometries and we show that jets can develop sizes and expansion velocities depending both on energy laser and distance from the rear surface. This jet formation regime, apparently new, can be related to some LIFT process, with submicrometer diameter jets.

Thermo-mechanical simulations of CO2 laser–fused silica interactions

CO2 laser heating of silica glass is used in many scientific and industrial applications. Particularly, localized CO2 laser heating of silica glass has demonstrated its ability to mitigate surface damage on optics used for high power laser applications. To develop such applications, the control of temperature, heat affected area, and resulting mechanical stresses are critical. Therefore, it is necessary to understand the silica transformation, the material ejection, and the thermo-mechanical stresses induced by the laser heating and subsequent cooling. In this paper, we detail the development of comprehensive thermo-mechanical numerical simulations of these physical processes, based on finite-element method. The approach is developed for 2D or 3D cases to tackle the case of a moving beam at the surface of the sample, and we particularly discuss the choice of the different parameters based on bibliographic inputs. The thermal and mechanical numerical results have been compared to different dedicated experi...