Time-Resolved Optical Emission Spectroscopic Studies Of Picosecond Laser Produced Cr Plasma

Time-resolved optical emission spectroscopic measurements of a plasma generated by irradiating a Cr target using 60 picosecond (ps) and 300 ps laser pulses are carried out to investigate the variation in the line width (delta lambda) of emission from neutrals and ions for increasing ambient pressures. Measurements ranging from 10(-6) Torr to 10(2) Torr show a distinctly different variation in the delta lambda of neutrals (Cr I) compared to that of singly ionized Cr (Cr II), for both irradiations. delta lambda increases monotonously with pressure for Cr II, but an oscillation is evident at intermediate pressures for Cr I. This oscillation does not depend on the laser pulse widths used. In spite of the differences in the plasma formation mechanisms, it is experimentally found that there is an optimum intermediate background pressure for which delta lambda of neutrals drops to a minimum. Importantly, these results underline the fact that for intermediate pressures, the usual practice of calculating the plasma number density from the delta lambda of neutrals needs to be judiciously done, to avoid reaching inaccurate conclusions. Published by AIP Publishing.