Fluence Threshold Behaviour on Ablation and Bubble Formation in Pulsed Laser Ablation in Liquids

The ablation yield and bubble-formation process during nanosecond pulsed-laser ablation of silver in water are analysed by stroboscopic videography, time-resolved X-ray radiography and in situ UV/Vis spectroscopy. This process is studied as function of lens-target distance and laser fluence. Both the ablation yield and the bubble-cavitation process exhibit threshold behaviour as a function of fluence, which is linked to the efficiency of coupling of energy at the water/target interface. Although ablation happens below this threshold, quantitative material emission is linked to bubble formation. Above the threshold, both bubble size and ablation show linear behaviour.