Effect of an Electric Field on an Optical Breakdown in the Air Stream

Experimental data on the effect of an electric field on the plasma of an optical discharge in an air flow have been obtained. Two configurations of an external electric field under the action of an optical discharge on the plasma are considered. To create an electric field, flat (the field along the beam and across the flow) and ring electrodes (the field across the laser beam and along the flow) were used. It was found that there are two modes of combined discharge (optical and electrical). When the field was created symmetrically with respect to the flow axis, an electrical breakdown was observed from the nozzle exit (positively charged electrode) to the focusing point of the laser beam, while no streamers were observed in the optical discharge wake. In another case, an electric discharge is realized between flat electrodes simultaneously with optical breakdown. In a field of constant strength above 3 kV/cm, the presence of an optical discharge plasma promoted electrical breakdown of the medium. In this case, the parameters of the electrical breakdown depended on the shape of the electrodes, the polarity of the applied voltage, and the air flow rate.

Влияние внешнего электрического поля на оптический разряд в скоростном потоке

The influence of an electric field on the plasma of an optical discharge in subsonic and supersonic air flows has been studied experimentally. The presence of a weak electric field practically does not affect the size of the plasma formation, but, regardless of the configuration of the field lines and the polarity of the applied voltage, it leads to a decrease in the probability of optical breakdown. The experiment has shown that the plasma created by focused laser radiation is very sensitive to the presence of an electric field. When a voltage exceeding 22 kV was applied to the ring electrodes, powerful quasi-stationary streamers were formed in the flow. The presence of an optical discharge plasma made it possible to create an electric discharge in fields with an intensity below the breakdown threshold of the medium. The effect of quenching and the processes of development of an optical discharge were studied depending on the speed and characteristics of the electric field. Quenching of the optical discharge was observed when a voltage of 22 kV and higher was applied. Despite the preservation of the geometric dimensions of the optical discharge, the high-temperature region in the flow can be increased by using electric streamers. This leads to an increase in the energy supplied to the flow, and thus allows combustion to be initiated and flame stabilized at higher flow rates. Key words: experimental modeling, laser radiation, optical breakdown, electric field, electric discharge, sub- and supersonic air flow.

Femtosecond lasers for eye surgery applications: historical overview and modern low pulse energy concepts

This review provides an overview of the historical development and modern applications of femtosecond (fs) lasers in ophthalmology, with a focus on the optical concepts involved. fs-Laser technology is unique because it allows very precise cutting inside the eye through optically transparent tissue, without a need for any mechanical openings. fs-Lasers were historically first used for refractive cornea surgery, later also for therapeutic cornea procedures and lens surgery. Further new areas of ophthalmic application are under development. The latest laser system concept is low pulse energy and high pulse frequency: by using larger numerical aperture focusing optics, the pulse energy required for optical breakdown decreases, and athermal tissue cutting with minimal side effects is enabled.

Analytical optimization of the laser induced refractive index change (LIRIC) process: maximizing LIRIC without reaching the damage threshold

A method to determine the optimum laser parameters for maximizing laser induced refractive index change (LIRIC) while avoiding exceeding the damage threshold for different materials with high water content (in particular, polymers such as hydrogels or the human cornea) is proposed. The model is based upon two previous independent models for LIRIC and for laser induced optical breakdown (LIOB) threshold combined in a simple manner. This work provides qualitative and quantitative estimates for the parameters leading to a maximum LIRIC effect below the threshold of LIOB.

Investigation of the laser-induced breakdown plasma, acoustic vibrations and dissociation processes of water molecules caused by laser breakdown of colloidal solutions containing Ni nanoparticles

In this work the process of optical breakdown under laser irradiation by nanosecond pulses with an energy of 650 mJ of aqueous solutions of Ni nanoparticles is investigated. A monotonic change in the number of breakdowns, the average distance between closest breakdowns, the average plasma size of an individual breakdown, the luminosity of a plasma flash, the intensity of acoustic signals, and the rate of formation of dissociation products - O2, H2, OH•, and H2O2 with an increase in the irradiation time was established. With an increase in the concentration of nanoparticles, the measured values change non-monotonically. The maximum luminosity of a plasma flash is observed at a nanoparticle concentration of 109 NP/ml and 1010 NP/ml and reaches 350 cd/m2. The maximum pressure at the shock front is 1.5–2 MPa at a nanoparticle concentration of 1010 NP/ml. The maximum rates of generation of O2, H2, OH• and H2O2 are observed at concentrations of 109 NP/ml and 1010 NP/ml. Correlation analysis of the studied physicochemical phenomena shows that the formation of molecular gases is associated with acoustic processes, and the formation of radical products and hydrogen peroxide correlates with the physicochemical properties of plasma.

Experimental study of the influence of laser radiation power on the reflection coefficient of germanium and silicon at a wavelength of 355 nm

The dependences of the reflection coefficients at a wavelength of λ = 355 nm for germanium and silicon single crystals on the energy density of impacting laser radiation in the range 0.01 - 0.1 J/cm2 have been measured. Analytical expressions were obtained. It is assumed, that they are also valid in the range 0.1 - 1.0 J/cm2. With a further increase in the energy density, the dependence should acquire a more complex character due to the resulting optical breakdown.

Optical power limiter in the femtosecond filamentation regime

We present the use of a power limiting apparatus to evaluate ultrafast optical nonlinearities of transparent liquids (water and ethanol) in the femtosecond filamentation regime. The setup has been previously employed for the same purpose, however, in a longer pulsewidth (> 20 ps) regime, which leads to an ambiguous evaluation of the critical power for self-focusing. The uncertainty originates from the existence of a threshold power for optical breakdown well below the critical power for self-focusing within this timeframe. Contrarily, using the proposed apparatus in the femtosecond regime, we observe for the first time a unique optical response, which features the underlying physics of laser filamentation. Importantly, we demonstrate a dependence of the optical transmission of the power limiter on its geometrical, imaging characteristics and the conditions under which a distinct demarcation for the critical power for self-focusing can be determined. The result is supported by numerical simulations, which indicate that the features of the observed power-dependent optical response of the power limiting setup are physically related to the spontaneous transformation of the laser pulses into nonlinear conical waves.