Nanosecond and Femtosecond Laser Photochemistry and Ablation Dynamics of Neat Liquid Benzenes

Spatiotemporal Control of Polymorphic Phase Transition of Glycine Crystals by Three-Dimensional Femtosecond Laser Ablation Processing

Spatiotemporal control of the polymorphic phase transition of glycine crystals was demonstrated by three-dimensional (3D) processing with a focused femtosecond laser pulse as an external stimulus. We found that the transition from a metastable form (β-form) to more stable ones (α- or γ-form) could be triggered from the irradiated area of not only the surface but also inside of glycine crystals. This 3D processing with a focused femtosecond laser pulse enabled us to precisely monitor the transition dynamics from a targeted position to the entire part of crystals. The systematic study with the space-selective phase transition method revealed that the phase transition inside of glycine crystals was significantly slower (e.g., ∼50 times) than that at the crystal surface, which indicates the crucial role of water molecules in air on the phase transition dynamics. We foresee that this laser method can be a practical tool for monitoring spatiotemporal dynamics of phase transition.

Giant Enhancement of THz Wave Emission under Double-Pulse Excitation of Thin Water Flow

Simultaneous measurements of THz wave and hard X-ray emission from thin and flat water flow when irradiated by double femtosecond laser pulses (800 nm, 35 fs/transform-limited, 0.5 kHz, delay times up to 15 ns) were carried out. THz wave measurements by time-domain spectroscopy and X-ray detection by Geiger counters were performed at the transmission and the reflection sides of the flow. THz wave emission spectra show their dynamic peak shifts toward the low frequency with the highest intensity enhancements more than 1.5 × 10 3 times in |E| 2 accumulated over the whole spectrum range of 0–3 THz at the delay time of 4.7 ns between the two pulses. On the other hand, X-ray intensity enhancements are limited to about 20 times at 0 ns under the same experimental conditions. The mechanisms for the spectral changes and the intensity enhancements in THz wave emission are discussed from the viewpoint of laser ablation on the water flow induced by the pre-pulse irradiation.

Dual THz Wave and X-ray Generation from a Water Film under Femtosecond Laser Excitation

Simultaneous emission of the THz wave and hard X-ray from thin water free-flow was induced by the irradiation of tightly-focused femtosecond laser pulses (35 fs, 800 nm, 500 Hz) in air. Intensity measurements of the THz wave and X-ray were carried out at the same time with time-domain spectroscopy (TDS) based on electro-optic sampling with a ZnTe(110) crystal and a Geiger counter, respectively. Intensity profiles of the THz wave and X-ray emission as a function of the solution flow position along the incident laser axis at the laser focus show that the profile width of the THz wave is broader than that of the X-ray. Furthermore, the profiles of the THz wave measured in reflection and transmission directions show different features and indicate that THz wave emission is, under single-pulse excitation, induced mainly in laser-induced plasma on the water flow surface. Under double-pulse excitation with a time separation of 4.6 ns, 5–10 times enhancements of THz wave emission were observed. Such dual light sources can be used to characterise materials, as well as to reveal the sequence of material modifications under intense laser pulses.