Temporal and spatial evolution of C2 in laser induced plasma from graphite target

Laser ablation of graphite has been carried out using 1.06 mm radiation from a Q-switched Nd:YAG laser and the time of flight distribution of molecular C 2 present in the resultant plasma is investigated in terms of distance from the target as well as laser fluences employing time resolved spectroscopic technique. At low laser fluences the intensities of the emission lines from C 2 exhibit only single peak structure while beyond a threshold laser fluence, emission from C 2 shows a twin peak distribution in time. The occurrence of the faster velocity component at higher laser fluences is explained as due to species generated from recombination processes while the delayed peak is attributed to dissociation of higher carbon clusters resulting in the generation of C 2 molecule. Analysis of measured data provides a fairly complete picture of the evolution and dynamics of C2 species in the laser induced plasma from graphite. © 1996 American Institute of Physics. @S0021-8979~96!02218-9#

[1]  H. W. Kroto,et al.  The formation of quasi-icosahedral spiral shell carbon particles , 1988, Nature.

[2]  S. C. O'brien,et al.  C60: Buckminsterfullerene , 1985, Nature.

[3]  Joseph V. Smith,et al.  A hydrated aluminophosphate with both 4.82 and 63 sheets in the 4-connected framework , 1985, Nature.

[4]  G. Dollinger,et al.  Development of laser plasma ablation-deposition techniques for carbon stripper foils , 1991 .

[5]  G. Dollinger,et al.  Laser plasma ablation of carbon , 1993 .

[6]  Tieer Gu,et al.  Pulsed laser deposition of diamond‐like carbon films , 1992 .

[7]  Spatial and temporal analysis of laser induced plasma from a polymer sample , 1993 .

[8]  Robert F. Curl,et al.  Photophysics of buckminsterfullerene and other carbon cluster ions , 1988 .

[9]  F. Zerbetto,et al.  Quantum-chemical investigation of Franck-Condon and Jahn-Teller activity in the electronic spectra of Buckminsterfullerene , 1988 .

[10]  J. Goldsmith,et al.  C2 creation, emission, and laser-induced fluorescence in flames and cold gases , 1990 .

[11]  C. Bindhu,et al.  Spatial and time resolved analysis of CN bands in the laser induced plasma from graphite , 1996 .

[12]  L. DiMauro,et al.  OPTICAL EMISSION STUDIES ON GRAPHITE IN A LASER/VAPORIZATION SUPERSONIC JET CLUSTER SOURCE , 1987 .

[13]  S. S. Harilal,et al.  Temporal and spatial evolution of laser ablated plasma from YBa2Cu3O7 , 1994 .

[14]  William Weltner,et al.  Carbon molecules, ions, and clusters , 1989 .

[15]  Edward S. Yeung,et al.  Optical Monitoring of Laser-Induced Plasma Derived from Graphite and Characterization of the Deposited Carbon Film , 1994 .

[16]  Donald M. Cox,et al.  Production and characterization of supersonic carbon cluster beams , 1984 .

[17]  K. C. Reichmann,et al.  Carbon clusters revisited: The ‘‘special’’ behavior of C60 and large carbon clusters , 1988 .

[18]  W. R. Creasy,et al.  Formation of high mass carbon cluster ions from laser ablation of polymers and thin carbon films , 1990 .

[19]  T. Morrow,et al.  Absorption and emission spectra of the YBCO laser plume , 1994 .

[20]  G. Koren,et al.  Emission spectra and etching of polymers and graphite irradiated by excimer lasers , 1984 .

[21]  Robert F. Curl,et al.  Reactivity of large carbon clusters: spheroidal carbon shells and their possible relevance to the formation and morphology of soot , 1986 .

[22]  E. M. Juengerman,et al.  Amorphic diamond films produced by a laser plasma source , 1990 .

[23]  W. Krätschmer,et al.  Solid C60: a new form of carbon , 1990, Nature.

[24]  E. Rohlfing.  High resolution time-of-flight mass spectrometry of carbon and carbonaceous clusters , 1990 .

[25]  R. K. Thareja,et al.  Fullerenes from laser produced plasma , 1993 .

[26]  T. Okada,et al.  Two‐dimensional laser‐induced fluorescence imaging of non‐emissive species in pulsed‐laser deposition process of YBa2Cu3O7−x , 1995 .

[27]  Tetsuya Sato,et al.  Deposition of Diamond-like Carbon Films by Pulsed-Laser Evaporation , 1987 .

[28]  Douglas J. Klein,et al.  Elemental carbon cages , 1988 .

[29]  J. Cuomo,et al.  Characterization of laser vaporization plasmas generated for the deposition of diamond-like carbon , 1992 .

[30]  R. Elton,et al.  Resonance Charge Transfer and Population Inversion Following C 5 + and C 6 + Interactions with Carbon Atoms in a Laser-Generated Plasma , 1977 .

[31]  R. F. Haglund,et al.  Laser Ablation Mechanisms and Applications , 1991 .

[32]  Masatoshi Tanaka,et al.  Optical Emission Analysis of Triple-Fold Plume Formed at Pulsed IR Laser Ablation of Graphite , 1995 .

[33]  J. Seely,et al.  Observation of an energetic neutral flux from a laser-produced plasma , 1983 .

[34]  W. Harter,et al.  Vibrational frequencies and normal modes of buckminsterfullerene , 1988 .

[35]  V. Yu. Baranov,et al.  Interaction of laser ablation plasma plume with grid screens , 1995 .

[36]  Eric A. Rohlfing,et al.  Optical emission studies of atomic, molecular, and particulate carbon produced from a laser vaporization cluster source , 1988 .