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Cuvillier

Ultrafast dynamics of melting and ablation at large laser intensities

Abstract

dc:description

This thesis contributes to the understanding of the ultrafast melting and ablation of solids irradiated at large laser intensities. Fundamental aspects of the ultrafast laser ablation of pure metals (Au, Al, Cu, Fe, W), such as laser-matter interaction, plasma formation, evaporation and melt dynamics have been matter of research. Melting and welding of technical borosilicate glass by high-repetition rate ultrafast laser radiation have been studied as well. Novel experimental techniques and tools have been developed and applied in order to enable investigations of laser induced transient phenomena on different time scales. Pump-probe imaging technique has been adopted featuring an extended temporal detection limit of approx. 2 microseconds and preserving a temporal resolution in the sub-picosecond range. A novel quantitative optical phase microscopy technique (TQPm) has been developed for time-resolved investigations of transient refractive index and morphology changes. For laser ablation of metals at large irradiation intensities, the temporal and spatial profiles of the adopted laser radiation have been examined. The heating effect of the radiation pedestals caused by amplified spontaneous emission has been estimated numerically resulting in a temperature increase by several hundreds of Kelvin, depending on material properties. Time-resolved shadowgraphy and quantitative measurements of the ablated volume in metals have been performed in different ambient conditions. In the adopted delay range, the observed ablation phenomena can be classified by at least four characteristic time regions, featuring the ejection of plasma and highly pressurized vapor, material vapor due to nucleation effects, liquid melt jets, and resolidification, respectively. Based on the experimental results of this work, a qualitative description for ablation of metals at large intensities is given, and important differences to the ablation at near-threshold intensities are specified. Particularly, phenomena concerned with overheating of material, e.g. phase explosion and “boiling crisis”, are assumed as the prevailing mechanisms of ablation. Melting of technical borosilicate glass by high-repetition rate ultrafast laser radiation has been studied dynamically by means of TQPm. The obtained results exhibit transient modifications of the refractive index which reflects either the ionization process or the material densification. An important application is established in terms of micro-welding of thin glass substrates with glass or silicon. By producing melt tracks in the interface between two substrates, reliable weld seams are generated in the micrometer regime.

Degree

thesis:*
Grantor dc:publisher
Cuvillier
Year dc:date
2009

Author and committee

dc:creator, dc:contributor.*
Author dc:creator
  • Mingareev, Ilja
Contributors dc:contributor
  • Poprawe, Reinhart

Subjects

dc:subject × 12

Rights

dc:rights
Statement dc:rights
  • info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
Language dc:language
eng

Identifiers

dc:identifier.*

Chain of custody

source
Harvested from
RWTH Aachen University
Base URL
publications.rwth-aachen.de/oai2d
Last updated
2026-07-30
Source record
OAI-PMH GetRecord
citation

Mingareev, Ilja. Ultrafast dynamics of melting and ablation at large laser intensities. Cuvillier, 2009. https://publications.rwth-aachen.de/record/51335