Evgeny L. Gurevich

A simple laser ICP-MS ablation cell with wash-out time less than 100 ms

In this paper a novel concept of ablation cell for laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) is presented. Suppression of the turbulence in the flush gas flow in the ablation region reduces the wash-out time of the ablation cell considerably. An ablation chamber which enables ICP-MS pulse duration down to several ten milliseconds has been designed. Dependence of the ICP-MS peak amplitude, width, and shape on the gas flow parameters is studied experimentally for aerosol ablated under laminar and turbulent conditions. Experiments demonstrate that the ICP-MS peak becomes sharper and the amplitude of the signal grows as the turbulence in the ablation cell is suppressed. Furthermore, the possibility of the LA-ICP-MS analysis with a sampling rate of more than 10 Hz has been demonstrated. Express in-depth profiling in the new ablation cell is demonstrated on examples of an Al–Zn multilayer structure and an industrial Mg–Zn coating.

Laser Induced Periodic Surface Structures induced by surface plasmons coupled via roughness

Abstract In this paper the formation mechanisms of the femtosecond laser-induced periodic surface structures (LIPSS) are discussed. One of the most frequently used theories explains the structures by interference between the incident laser beam and surface plasmon-polariton waves. The latter is most commonly attributed to the coupling of the incident laser light to the surface roughness. We demonstrate that this excitation of surface plasmons contradicts the results of laser-ablation experiments. As an alternative approach to the excitation of LIPSS we analyse development of hydrodynamic instabilities in the melt layer.

Radiofrequency driven and low cost fabricated microhollow cathode discharge for gaseous atomic emission spectrometry

The current research presents a microhollow cathode discharge (MHCD) used as an analytical microplasma gas detector combining the advantages of a hollow cathode geometry in a miniaturized system offering atmospheric pressure operation. The plasma is driven by a homemade resonant radiofrequency generator (f = 1–10 MHz) reducing the electrode sputtering by a factor of 6.5 compared to common direct current operation leading to an extension of the lifetime of the microplasma chip of the same range. This paper aims further for the development of a novel low priced and therefore replaceable MHCD chip exchanging formerly used Pt electrodes by thin Cu electrodes. The analytical performance of the low cost Cu-MHCD with lifetime enhancing radiofrequency operation is demonstrated by atomic emission spectrometry with halogenated hydrocarbons with the Cl emission line at 912.114 nm. This leads to an excellent detection limit of 15 ppb v/v gaseous Cl in He making this microplasma chip suitable for lab on a chip application.

Development of a novel dielectric barrier microhollow cathode discharge for gaseous atomic emission spectroscopy

The present research demonstrates a novel microhollow cathode discharge based on the dielectric barrier discharge principle (DB-MHCD) for application as an analytical microplasma gas detector. The plasma is formed inside a microfabricated multilayer structure and is mainly confined in a bore with a diameter of 100–250 μm. The DB-MHCD operates with alternating rectangular voltages of 1–2 kVpp and a frequency of 50 kHz. The insulation of the electrodes by the dielectric layer prevents deterioration of the electrodes and eliminates contamination of the gaseous analyte with electrode material. This enables long-term operation of the DB-MHCD device over several days. The analytical performance of the DB-MHCD is demonstrated with halogenated hydrocarbons leading to an excellent detection limit of 27 ppb for gaseous Cl in He.

Role of the temperature dynamics in formation of nanopatterns upon single femtosecond laser pulses on gold

In this paper we investigate whether the periodic structures on metal surfaces exposed to single ultrashort laser pulses can appear due to an instability induced by two-temperature heating dynamics. The results of two-temperature model (TTM) 2D simulations are presented on the irradiation of gold by a single 800 nm femtosecond laser pulse whose intensity is modulated in order to reproduce a small initial temperature perturbation, which can arise from incoming and scattered surface wave interference. The growing (unstable) modes of the temperature distribution along the surface may be responsible for the LIPSS (Laser Induced Periodic Surface Structures) formation. After the end of the laser pulse and before the complete coupling between lattice and electrons occurs, the evolution of the amplitude of the subsequent modulation in the lattice temperature reveals different tendencies depending on the spatial period of the initial modulation. This instability-like behaviour is shown to arise due to the perturbation of the electronic temperature which relaxes slower for bigger spatial periods and thus imparts more significant modulations to the lattice temperature. Small spatial periods of the order of 100 nm and smaller experience stabilization and fast decay from the more efficient lateral heat diffusion which facilitates the relaxation of the electronic temperature amplitude due to in-depth diffusion. An analytical instability analysis of a simplified version of the TTM set of equations supports the lattice temperature modulation behaviour obtained in the simulations and reveals that in-depth diffusion length is a determining parameter in the dispersion relation of unstable modes. Finally it is discussed how the change in optical properties can intensify the modulation-related effects.

Synthesis of Magnetic Nanoparticles by Ultrashort Pulsed Laser Ablation of Iron in Different Liquids

Magnetic nanoparticles were generated by ultrashort pulsed laser ablation of an iron target in water, methanol, ethanol, acetone and toluene. The relationship between ablation rate, liquid properties and the physical and chemical properties of the nanoparticles was studied. Composition, morphology and magnetic properties were investigated by TEM, XPS and vibrating-sample (VSM) and SQUID magnetometry. The properties of the generated nanoparticle ensembles reflected the influence of the liquid environment on the particle formation process. For example, the composition was strongly dependent on the carbon to oxygen ratio within the molecules of the liquid. In contrast to short pulsed laser ablation in liquids, the nanoparticles generated by ultrashort pulses had a higher level of polycrystallinity.

On femtosecond laser shock peening of stainless steel AISI 316

Abstract In this paper we report on the competition in metal surface hardening between the femtosecond shock peening on the one hand, and formation of laser-induced periodic surface structures (LIPSS) and surface oxidation on the other hand. Peening of the stainless steel AISI 316 due to shock loading induced by femtosecond laser ablation was successfully demonstrated. However, for some range of processing parameters, surface erosion due to LIPSS and oxidation seems to dominate over the peening effect. Strategies to increase the peening efficiency are discussed.

Graphene-intercalated Fe2O3/TiO2 heterojunctions for efficient photoelectrolysis of water

Interfacial modification of α-Fe2O3/TiO2 multilayer photoanodes by intercalating few-layer graphene (FLG) was found to improve water splitting efficiency due to superior transport properties, when compared to individual iron and titanium oxides and heterojunctions thereof. Both metal oxides and graphene sheets were grown by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition. Compared to the onset potential achieved for α-Fe2O3 films (1 V vs. RHE), the α-Fe2O3/TiO2 bilayer structure yielded a better onset potential (0.3 V vs. RHE). Heterojunctioned bilayers exhibited a higher photocurrent density (0.32 mA cm−2 at 1.23 V vs. RHE) than the single α-Fe2O3 layer (0.22 mA cm−2 at 1.23 V vs. RHE), indicating more efficient light harvesting and higher concentration of photogenerated charge carriers. For more efficient charge transport at the interface, a few layer graphene sheet was intercalated into the α-Fe2O3/TiO2 interface, which substantially increased the photocurrent density to 0.85 mA cm−2 (1.23 V vs. RHE) and shifted the onset potential (0.25 V vs. RHE). Ultrafast transient absorption spectroscopy studies indicated that the incorporation of FLG between the α-Fe2O3 and TiO2 layers resulted in reduced recombination in the α-Fe2O3 layer. The results showed that graphene intercalation improved the charge separation and the photocurrent density of the FTO/α-Fe2O3/FLG/TiO2 system.

Generation of microfluidic flow using an optically assembled and magnetically driven microrotor

The key components in microfluidic systems are micropumps, valves and mixers. Depending on the chosen technology, the realization of these microsystems often requires rotational and translational control of subcomponents. The manufacturing of such active components as well as the driving principle are still challenging tasks. A promising all-optical approach could be the combination of laser direct writing and actuation based on optical forces. However, when higher actuation velocities are required, optical driving might be too slow. Hence, a novel approach based on optical assembling of microfluidic structures and subsequent magnetic actuation is proposed. By applying the optical assembly of microspherical building blocks as the manufacturing method and magnetic actuation, a microrotor was successfully fabricated and tested within a microfluidic channel. The resulting fluid flow was characterized by introducing an optically levitated measuring probe particle. Finally, a freely moving tracer particle visualizes the generated flow. The tracer particle analysis shows average velocities of 0.4–0.5 µm s−1 achieved with the presented technology.

Wavelength dependence of picosecond laser-induced periodic surface structures on copper

Abstract The physical mechanisms of the laser-induced periodic surface structures (LIPSS) formation are studied in this paper for single-pulse irradiation regimes. The change in the LIPSS period with wavelength of incident laser radiation is investigated experimentally, using a picosecond laser system, which provides 7-ps pulses in near-IR, visible, and UV spectral ranges. The experimental results are compared with predictions made under the assumption that the surface-scattered waves are involved in the LIPSS formation. Considerable disagreement suggests that hydrodynamic mechanisms can be responsible for the observed pattern periodicity.