Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-r5fsc Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-24T03:29:53.343Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Spatial confinement effects employed by metallic blocker and Ar gas pressures on laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy and surface modifications of laser-irradiated Mg

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 April 2017

A. Hayat ,
S. Bashir ,
M. S. Rafique ,
R. Ahmed ,
M. Akram ,
K. Mahmood ,
A. Zaheer ,
T. Hussain  and
A. Dawood
A. Hayat*
Affiliation:
Centre for Advanced Studies in Physics, GC University, Lahore, Pakistan
S. Bashir
Affiliation:
Centre for Advanced Studies in Physics, GC University, Lahore, Pakistan
M. S. Rafique
Affiliation:
Department of Physics, University of Engineering and Technology, Lahore, Pakistan
R. Ahmed
Affiliation:
Centre for Advanced Studies in Physics, GC University, Lahore, Pakistan
M. Akram
Affiliation:
Centre for Advanced Studies in Physics, GC University, Lahore, Pakistan
K. Mahmood
Affiliation:
Centre for Advanced Studies in Physics, GC University, Lahore, Pakistan
A. Zaheer
Affiliation:
Centre for Advanced Studies in Physics, GC University, Lahore, Pakistan
T. Hussain
Affiliation:
Centre for Advanced Studies in Physics, GC University, Lahore, Pakistan
A. Dawood
Affiliation:
Centre for Advanced Studies in Physics, GC University, Lahore, Pakistan
*
Address correspondence and reprint requests to: A. Hayat, Centre for Advanced Studies in Physics, GC University, Lahore, Pakistan. E-mail: [email protected]
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Spatial confinement effects on plasma parameters and surface morphology of laser-ablated Mg are studied by introducing a metallic blocker as well as argon (Ar) gas at different pressures. Nd: YAG laser at various fluences ranging from 7 to 28 J/cm2 was employed to generate Mg plasma. Confinement effects offered by metallic blocker are investigated by placing the blocker at different distances of 6, 8, and 10 mm from the target surface; whereas spatial confinement offered by environmental gas is explored under four different pressures of 5, 10, 20, and 50 Torr. Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy analysis revealed that both plasma parameters, that is, excitation temperature and electron number density initially are strongly dependent upon both pressures of environmental gases and distances of blockers. The maximum electron temperature of Mg plasma is achieved at Ar gas pressure of 20 Torr, whereas maximum electron number density is achieved at 50 Torr. It is also observed that spatial confinement offered by metallic blocker is responsible for the significant enhancement of both electron temperature and electron number density of Mg plasma. Maximum values of electron temperature and electron number density without blocker are 8335 K and 2.4 × 1016 cm−3, respectively, whereas these values are enhanced to 12,200 K and 4 × 1016 cm−3 in the presence of blocker. Physical mechanisms responsible for the enhancement of Mg plasma parameters are plasma compression, confinement and pronounced collisional excitations due to reflection of shock waves. Scanning electron microscope analysis was performed to explore the surface morphology of laser-ablated Mg. It reveals the formation of ripples and channels that become more distinct in the presence of blocker due to plasma confinement. The optimum combination of blocker distance, fluence and Ar pressure can identify the suitable conditions for defining the role of plasma parameters for surface structuring.

Keywords

Electron number densityElectron temperatureLaser-induced breakdown spectroscopySpatial confinementSpectral emissions
Type
Research Article
Information
Laser and Particle Beams , Volume 35 , Issue 2 , June 2017 , pp. 313 - 325
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2017 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Bashir, S., Rafique, M.S. & Husinsky, W. (2009). Surface topography (nano-sized hillocks) and particle emission of metals, dielectrics and semiconductors during ultra-short-laser ablation: Towards a coherent understanding of relevant processes. Appl. Surf. Sci. 255, 8372–8376.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bauerle, D. (2011). Laser Processing and Chemistry. Heidelberg: Springer-Verlag.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Chen, F.F., Su, X.J. & Zhou, W.D. (2015). Effect of parameters on Si plasma emission in collinear double-pulse laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy. Front. Phys. 10, 104207–10412.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Chorlis, C.H., Reader, J., Wiese, W.L. & Martin, G.A. (1980). Wavelengths and Transition Probabilities for Atoms and Atomic Ions. Washington, DC: National Bureau of Standards.Google Scholar
Cremer, D.A. & Radziemski, L.J. (2006). Handbook of Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy. Chichester: Wiley.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dawood, A., Bashir, S., Akram, M., Hayat, A., Ahmad, S., Iqbal, M.H. & Kazmi, A.H. (2015). Effect of nature and pressure of ambient environments on the surface morphology, plasma parameters, hardness, and corrosion resistance of laser-irradiated Mg-alloy. Laser Part. Beams 33, 315–330.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dawood, M.S. & Margot, J. (2014). Effect of ambient gas pressure and nature on the temporal evolution of aluminium laser-induced plasmas. AIP Adv. 4, 0371111–0371113.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Farid, N., Harilal, S., Ding, H. & Hassanein, A. (2014). Emission features and expansion dynamics of nanosecond laser ablation plumes at different ambient pressures. J. Appl. Phys. 115, 033107–033116.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fried, D., Khshida, T., Reck, G.P. & Rothe, E.W. (1992). Effect of electric field associated with a laser induced pulsed discharge on the ablation-generated plumes of YBa2Cu3O7-X. J. Appl. Phys. 72, 1113–1125.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fu, Y., Hou, Z. & Wang, Z. (2016). Physical insights of cavity confinement enhancing effects in laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy. Opt. Exp. 24, 3055–3066.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Gao, X., Liu, L., Song, C. & LIN, J. (2015). The role of spatial confinement on nanosecond YAG laser-induced Cu plasma. J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys. 48, 1752051–1552056.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Harilal, S.S., Bindhu, C.V., Nampoori, V.P.N. & Vallabhan, C.P.G. (1998). Influence of ambient gas on the temperature and density of laser produced carbon plasma. Appl. Phys. Lett. 72, 167–169.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Harilal, S.S., Farid, N., Freeman, J.R., Diwakar, P.K., Lahaye, N.L. & Hassanein, A. (2014). Background gas collisional effects on expanding fs and ns laser ablation plumes. Appl. Phys. A 117, 319–326.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hayat, A., Bashir, S., Rafique, M.S., Akram, M., Mahmood, K., Iqbal, S., Dawood, A. & Arooj, (2016). Spectroscopic and morphological study of laser ablated Titanium. Opt. Spectrosc. 121, 1–9.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Huang, F., Liang, P., Yang, X., Cai, H., Wu, J., Ying, Z. & Sun, J. (2015). Confinements effects of shock waves on laser-induced plasma from graphite target. Phys. Plasmas 22, 063509–063516.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Iqbal, S., Rafique, M.S., Anjum, S., Hayat, A. & Iqbal, N. (2012). Impact of X-ray irradiation on PMMA thin films. Appl. Surf. Sci. 259, 853–860.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Khalil, A.A.I. & Gondal, M.A. (2012). Effect of ambient conditions on laser induced breakdown spectroscopy. Laser Phys. 22, 1771–1779.Google Scholar
Khumaeni, A., Akaoka, K., Miyabe, M. & Wakaida, I. (2016). The role of microwaves in the enhancement of laser-induced plasma emission. Front. Phys. 11, 1142092–1142099.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Liu, L., Huang, X., Li, S., Lu, Y., Chen, K., Jiang, L., Silvain, J.F. & Lu, Y.F. (2015). Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy enhanced by a micro torch. Appl. Opt. 23, 15047–15057.Google ScholarPubMed
Rumsby, P. & Paul, J.W.M. (1974). Temperature and density of an expanding laser produced plasma. J. Plasma Phys. 16, 247–251.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Scaffidi, J., Pender, J., Pearman, W., Goode, S.R., Colston, B.W., Carter, J.C. & Angel, S.M. (2003). Dual-pulse laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy with combinations of femtosecond and nanosecond laser pulses. Appl. Opt. 42, 6099–6106.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Shakeel, H., Arshad, S., Haq, S.U. & Nadeem, A. (2016). Electron temperature and density measurements of laser induced germanium plasma. Phys. Plasmas 23, 0535041–0535049.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Verhoff, B., Harilal, S.S., Freeman, J.R., Diwakar, P.K. & Hussanein, A. (2012). Dynamics of femto-and nanosecond laser ablation plumes investigated using optical emission spectroscopy. J. Appl. Phys. 112, 0933031–0933039.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Zhong, S.L., Lu, Y., Kong, W.J., Cheng, K. & Zheng, R. (2016). Quantitative analysis of lead in aqueous solutions by ultrasonic nebulizer assisted laser induced breakdown spectroscopy. Front. Phys. 11, 1142021–1142029.CrossRefGoogle Scholar