Laser ablation of solid substrates in water and ambient air

Laser ablation of solid substrates in ambient air and under water is investigated. It is found that the laser ablation rate is highly enhanced by the water film. A wide-band microphone is used to detect the audible acoustic wave generated during laser ablation. Peak-to-peak amplitude of the acoustic wave recorded in water confinement regime (WCR) is greater than that recorded in ambient. It is assumed that the plasma generated in WCR induces a much stronger pressure. This high-pressure, high-temperature plasma results in a much higher ablation rate. Theoretical calculation is also carried out to verify this assumption. By proper calibration, acoustic wave detection can be used as a real-time monitoring of the laser ablation. (C) 2001 American Institute of Physics.