Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: http://hdl.handle.net/1959.3/155938

Title

Laser-induced microexplosion confined in the bulk of a sapphire crystal: evidence of multimegabar pressures

Author(s)

Juodkazis, S.;  Nishimura, K.;  Tanaka, S.;  Misawa, H.;  Gamaly, E. G.;  Luther-Davies, B.;  Hallo, L.;  Nicolai, P.;  Tikhonchuk, V. T.

Abstract

Extremely high pressures (∼10  TPa) and temperatures (5×105  K) have been produced using a single laser pulse (100 nJ, 800 nm, 200 fs) focused inside a sapphire crystal. The laser pulse creates an intensity over 1014  W/cm2 converting material within the absorbing volume of ∼0.2  μm3 into plasma in a few fs. A pressure of ∼10  TPa, far exceeding the strength of any material, is created generating strong shock and rarefaction waves. This results in the formation of a nanovoid surrounded by a shell of shock-affected material inside undamaged crystal. Analysis of the size of the void and the shock-affected zone versus the deposited energy shows that the experimental results can be understood on the basis of conservation laws and be modeled by plasma hydrodynamics. Matter subjected to record heating and cooling rates of 1018  K/s can, thus, be studied in a well-controlled laboratory environment.

Publication type

Journal article

Source

Physical Review Letters, Vol. 96, no. 16 (Apr 2006)

Publication year

2006

FOR Code(s)

01 Mathematical Sciences;  02 Physical Sciences;  09 Engineering

Keyword(s)

Laser pulses;  Micro-explosions;  Nanovoids;  Sapphire crystal

Publisher

American Physical Society

ISSN

0031-9007

Publisher URL

http://dx.doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.96.166101

Copyright

Copyright © 2006 The American Physical Society.

Peer reviewed