Critical-Point Phase Separation in Laser Ablation of Conductors

F. Vidal; T. W. Johnston; S. Laville; O. Barthélemy; M. Chaker; B. Le Drogoff; J. Margot; M. Sabsabi

doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.86.2573

Critical-Point Phase Separation in Laser Ablation of Conductors

F. Vidal, T. W. Johnston, S. Laville, O. Barthélemy, M. Chaker, B. Le Drogoff, J. Margot, and M. Sabsabi

Phys. Rev. Lett. 86, 2573 – Published 19 March 2001

Abstract

Laser ablation due to an ultrashort laser pulse on a massive aluminum target was investigated by means of a one-dimensional fluid code. Clear separation between the ablated matter and the unablated target is seen to occur through spinodal decomposition involving thermodynamic instabilities near the critical point of aluminum. The code also shows that the end of the ablation process is preceded by the ejection of droplets, which form about $15 %$ of the total ejected mass.

Received 26 September 2000

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.86.2573

Authors & Affiliations

F. Vidal¹, T. W. Johnston¹, S. Laville¹, O. Barthélemy², M. Chaker¹, B. Le Drogoff¹, J. Margot², and M. Sabsabi³

¹Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique-Énergie et Matériaux, Varennes, Québec, Canada J3X 1S2
²Département de physique, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada H3C 3J7
³Institut des Matériaux Industriels, Conseil National de Recherche du Canada, Boucherville, Québec, Canada J4B 6Y4