Spectral Characterization of Laser Induced Plasma from Titanium Dioxide

Optical emission from TiO2 plasma, generated by a nanosecond laser is spectroscopically analysed. The main chemical species are identified and the spatio-temporal distribution of the plasma parameters such as electron temperature and density are characterized based on the study of spectral distribution of the line intensities and their broadening characteristics. The parameters of laser induced plasma vary quickly owing to its expansion at low background pressure and the possible deviations from local thermodynamic equilibrium conditions are tested to show its validity.

Spectral Characterization of Laser Induced Plasma from Titanium Dioxide

Optical emission from TiO2 plasma, generated by a nanosecond laser is spectroscopically analysed. The main chemical species are identified and the spatio-temporal distribution of the plasma parameters such as electron temperature and density are characterized based on the study of spectral distribution of the line intensities and their broadening characteristics. The parameters of laser induced plasma vary quickly owing to its expansion at low background pressure and the possible deviations from local thermodynamic equilibrium conditions are tested to show its validity

Spectral Characterization of Laser Induced Plasma from Titanium Dioxide

Optical emission from TiO2 plasma, generated by a nanosecond laser is spectroscopically analysed. The main chemical species are identified and the spatio-temporal distribution of the plasma parameters such as electron temperature and density are characterized based on the study of spectral distribution of the line intensities and their broadening characteristics. The parameters of laser induced plasma vary quickly owing to its expansion at low background pressure and the possible deviations from local thermodynamic equilibrium conditions are tested to show its validity.

Characterization and Imaging Diagnostics of Laser Induced Plasma from Solid Targets

Laser induced plasma (LIP) emissions from some metal oxide targets were studied with corresponding metal targets of pure quality as a reference. Atomic emissions in the visible region were used in the spectroscopic procedures of LIP characterization. The studies were meant to throw light into LIP dynamics and they provided many experimental results which improved the general awareness of plasma state.When target materials were photo-ablated with an energetically suitable laser pulse, they developed electric charges in them.An electrical signal which was delivered from the target served as an alternative probe signal for the diagnostics of LIP and to track different charged states in the plasma. The signal showed a double peak distribution with positive polarity and a modified time of flight with various voltage levels of a given polarity.The expansion dynamics of LIP in magnetic field were also investigated by monitoring the voltage transients generated at the target.

Laser induced surface damage, thermal transport and microhardness studies on certain organic and semiorganic nonlinear optical crystals

N-alkyl-2,6-dimethyl-4(1H)-pyridinones, salts of 4-dimethylaminopyridine and 2-amino-5-nitropyridine are considered to be potential candidates for nonlinear optical (NLO) applications, in particular for the generation of blue-green laser radiation. Single crystals were grown following the slow evaporation technique at constant temperature. Single-shot laserinduced surface damage thresholds in the range 3–10 GW/cm2 were measured using a 18 ns Q-switched Nd:YAG laser. The surface morphologies of the damaged crystals were examined under an optical microscope and the nature of damage identified. The Vicker’s microhardness was determined at a load of 98.07 mN. The thermal transport properties, thermal diffusivity (α), thermal effusivity (e), thermal conductivity (K) and heat capacity (Cp), of the grown crystals were measured by an improved photopyroelectric technique at room temperature. All the results are presented and discussed.

Laser Induced Photothermal Investigations on Thermal and Transport Properties of Certain Selected Photonic Materials

Discovery of coherent optical sources four decades ago has revolutionized all fields of scientific development. One of the path breaking applications of lasers is the emergence of various thermo optic techniques to unravel some of the mysteries of light matter interactions.Thermo optic technique is a valuable tool to evaluate optical and thermal properties of materials in solid,liquid and gaseous states .This technique can also be employed effectively in nondestructive quality evaluation. In this doctoral thesis , the use of photothermal techniques based on photoacoustic and photothermal deflection phenomena for the study of certain class of photonics materials such as semiconductors, nano metal dispersed ceramics, composites of conducting polymers and liquid crystals is elaborated.

Time evolution of Nd:YAG laser-induced plasma from GdBa2Cu3O7 high-Tc superconductor

In order to characterise the laser ablation process from high-Tc superconductors, the time evolution of plasma produced by a Q-switching Nd:YAG laser from a GdBa2Cu3O7 superconducting sample has been studied using spectroscopic and ion-probe techniques. It has been observed that there is a fairly large delay for the onset of the emission from oxide species in comparison with those from atoms and ions of the constituent elements present in the plasma. Faster decay occurs for emission from oxides and ions compared with that from neutral atoms. These observations support the view that oxides are not directly produced from the target, but are formed by the recombination process while the plasma cools down. Plasma parameters such as temperature and velocity are also evaluated.

Characteristics of two-photon absorption in methanol solutions of Rhodamine 6G using laser induced pulsed photoacoustics

Two-photon absorption in methanol solutions of Rhodamine 6G is investigated by photoacoustics using the second harmonic of a pulsed Nd:YAG laser. Competition between one-photon and two-photon processes is observed, depending critically on the sample concentration and input light flux.

Determination of the laser-induced damage threshold of bulk polymer samples at 1.06 mu m using the pulsed photothermal deflection technique

A pulsed Nd-YAG laser beam is used to produce a transient refractive index gradient in air adjoining the plane surface of the sample material. This refractive index gradient is probed by a continuous He-Ne laser beam propagating parallel to the sample surface. The observed deflection signals produced by the probe beam exhibit drastic variations when the pump laser energy density crosses the damage threshold for the sample. The measurements are used to estimate the damage threshold for a few polymer samples. The present values are found to be in good agreement with those determined by other methods.

Spatial and temporal analysis of laser induced plasma from a polymer sample

Spatial and temporal analyses of the spectra of the laser induced plasma from a polytetrafluroethylene (PTFE) target obtained with the 1.06 mu m radiation from a Q-switched Nd:YAG laser have been carried out. The spatially resolved spectra of the plasma emission show that molecular bands of C2 (Swan bands) and CN are very intense in the outer regions of the plasma, whereas higher ionized states of carbon are predominant in the core region of the plasma emission. The vibrational temperature and population distribution in the different vibrational levels have been studied as a function of laser energy. From the time resolved studies, it has been observed that there exist fairly large time delays for the onset of emission from all the species in the outer region of the plasma. The molecular bands in each region exhibit much larger time delays in comparison to the ionic lines in the plasma.

Temporal and spatial evolution of C2 in laser induced plasma from graphite target

Laser ablation of graphite has been carried out using 1.06mm radiation from a Q-switched Nd:YAG laser and the time of flight distribution of molecular C2 present in the resultant plasma is investigated in terms of distance from the target as well as laser fluences employing time resolved spectroscopic technique. At low laser fluences the intensities of the emission lines from C2 exhibit only single peak structure while beyond a threshold laser fluence, emission from C2 shows a twin peak distribution in time. The occurrence of the faster velocity component at higher laser fluences is explained as due to species generated from recombination processes while the delayed peak is attributed to dissociation of higher carbon clusters resulting in the generation of C2 molecule. Analysis of measured data provides a fairly complete picture of the evolution and dynamics of C2 species in the laser induced plasma from graphite.

Time Resolved Analysis of C2 Emission from Laser Induced Graphite Plasma in Helium Atmosphere

We report time resolved study of C2 emission from laser produced carbon plasma in presence of ambient helium gas. The 1.06µm: radiation from a Nd:YAG laser was focused onto a graphite target where it·produced a transient plasma. We observed double peak structure in the time profile of C2 species. The twin peaks were observed only after a threshold laser fluence. It is proposed that the faster velocity component in the temporal profiles originates mainly due to recombination processes. The laser fluence and ambient gas dependence of the double peak intensity distribution is also reported.

Characteristics of laser-induced plasma from highTc superconductor

The spectroscopic analysis of the emission from the plasma produced by irradiating a highT c superconducting GdBa2Cu3O7 target with a high power Nd:YAG laser beam shows the existence of the bands from different oxides in addition to the lines from neutrals and ions of the constituent elements. The spectral emissions by oxide species in laser-induced plasma show considerable time delays as compared to those from neutral and ionic species. Recombination processes taking place during the cooling of the hot plasma, rather than the plasma expansion velocities, have been found to be responsible for the observed time delays in this case. The decays of emission intensities from various species are found to be non-exponential.

Spectral features of laser induced plasma from YBa2Cu3O7 and GdBa2Cu3O7 highTc superconductors

Laser induced plasma emission spectra from highT c superconducting samples of YBa2Cu3O7 and GdBa2Cu3O7 obtained with 1.06µm radiation from a Q switched Nd:YAG laser beam has been analysed. The results clearly show the presence of diatomic oxides in addition to ionized species of the constituent metals in the plasma thus produced.

Laser Induced Photoacoustic Technique for the Detection of Phase Transitions in Liquid Crystals

In this paper we report the use of a laser induced phoroacoustic technique for the detection of multiple phase transitions in heptyl-oxy-cyanobiphenyl (70CB) and octyl-oxy-cyanobiphenyl (80CB) liquid crystals. The observed photoacoustic signal amplitude profile carries clear signatures of two tirst order transitions in 70CB and two tirst order and a second order transitions in 80CB. Analysis of the experimental data using Rosencwaig-Gersho theory shows that the sudden decrease in the photoacoustic (PA) signal amplitude during phase transitions is due to a sharp increase in the heat capacity of the samples near the transition temperatures.