Investigation of Shielding Effects on Picosecond Laser-Induced Copper Plasma Characteristics under Different Focusing Distances

In traditional laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) applications, the line intensity and analysis capability are susceptible to plasma shielding. To investigate the shielding effects on the characteristics of Cu plasma in air, a ~120-picosecond laser with a wavelength of 1064 nm was employed to produce plasma. The plasma temperature and electron density were calculated under the condition of local thermal equilibrium (LTE) and optically thin, while the relationships between the line intensity, plasma temperature and electron density were analyzed. Moreover, the LTE condition was validated by the McWhirter relation, plasma relaxation time and diffusion length, and the optically thin condition was observed through the variation in line intensity. The results indicated that when the focal point was below the target surface, the plasma shielding was the weakest, and the highest line intensity could be obtained. In addition, there was a positive correlation between the increased plasma temperature and the degree of shielding effect. When the focal point was above the target surface, the high-irradiance pulse directly broke down the free air and produced a shock wave. Under the high pressure of the over-heated shock wave, the line intensity, plasma temperature and electron density increased again. This study provides an important insight into the experiments and applications of picosecond LIBS.

Parameter optimization of the spectral emission of laser-induced tungsten plasma for tokamak wall diagnosis at different pressures

The ambient pressure influences the plume expansion and spectral emission, and two pressure regions are observed to distinguish the enhanced plasma shielding effect.

Modeling of pulsed laser ablation of aluminum under the action of infrared nanosecond laser pulses

The paper presents the results of numerical simulation of aluminum ablation process that is caused by a series of incident nanosecond pulses on a wavelength λ=1064 nm. The mechanism of normal evaporation and the effect of plasma shielding were taken into account. As a result of mathematical modeling the ablation depth was obtained. It is shown that plasma shielding reduces the effectiveness of ablation process much more than cooling of the aluminum surface between pulses.

A Model of Ultra-Short Pulsed Laser Ablation of Metal with Considering Plasma Shielding and Non-Fourier Effect

In this paper, a non-Fourier heat conduction model of ultra-short pulsed laser ablation of metal is established that takes into account the effect of the heat source, laser heating of the target, the evaporation and phase explosion of target material, the formation and expansion of the plasma plume, and interaction of the plasma plume with the incoming laser. Temperature dependent optical and thermophysical properties are also considered in the model due to the properties of the target will change over a wide range during the ultra-short pulsed laser ablation process. The results show that the plasma shielding has a great influence on the process of ultra-short pulsed laser ablation, especially at higher laser fluence. The non-Fourier effect has a great influence on the temperature characteristics and ablation depth of the target. The ultra-short pulsed laser ablation can effectively reduce the heat affected zone compared to nanosecond pulsed laser ablation. The comparison between the simulation results and the experimental results in the literature shows that the model with the plasma shielding and the non-Fourier effect can simulate the ultra-short pulsed laser ablation process better.