Incubation Effect of Pre-Irradiation on Bubble Formation and Ablation in Laser Ablation in Liquids

Pulsed laser ablation in liquids (PLAL) is a multi-scale process, which is widely studied either in batch ablation with prolonged target irradiation as well as mechanistic investigations, in a defined (single-shot) process. However, fundamental studies on defined pulse series are rare. We have investigated the effect of a developing rough morphology of the target surface on the PLAL process with nanosecond pulses and, partially, picosecond pulses. At low fluence the cavitation bubble growth as well as the ablation yield depend on the irradiation history of the target. The bubble size increases with repeated irradiation on one spot for the first 2-30 pulses as well as with the applied dose. This is discussed within the framework of incubation effects. Incubation is found to be important, resulting in a bubble volume increase by a factor of six or more between pristine and corrugated targets. The target surface, changing from smooth to corrugated, induces a more efficient localization of laser energy at the solid-liquid interface. This is accompanied by a suppressed reflectivity and more efficient coupling of energy into the laser-induced plasma. Thus, the cavitation bubble size increases as well as ablation being enhanced. At high fluence, such incubation is masked by the rapid development of surface damage within the first shots, which eventually would lead to a reduction of bubble sizes.