Publication details.

Paper

Year:	2014
Author(s):	D. Conti-Sampol, F. Marino, G. Roati, A. Orfila, J. Javaloyes, O. Piro, S. Balle
Title:	Shielding of optical pulses on hydrodynamical time scales in laser-induced breakdown of saline water
Journal:	JOURNAL OF APPLIED PHYSICS
ISSN:	0021-8979
JCR Impact Factor:	2.183
Volume:	116
Pages:	033102
D.O.I.:	10.1063/1.4890313
Web:	http://scitation.aip.org/content/aip/journal/jap/116/3/10.1063/1.4890313
Abstract:	Pulse shielding in Laser-Induced Breakdown of saline water on hydrodynamic time scales is experimentally characterized. Pairs of pulses from a Nd:YAG laser are focused into saline water with a controlled time delay between them. The Laser-Induced Breakdown produced by the first pulse creates a cavitation bubble that later collapses generating a plume of bubbles that evolves on hydrodynamic time scales. When the second pulse arrives, the light is scattered by this plume with a consequent reduction in the intensity at the focal spot resulting in a lower breakdown efficiency of this pulse. By means of acoustic measurements, we determine the breakdown energy threshold for the first pulse and characterize the shielding of the second pulse as a function of the salinity of the solution, the energy of the pulse, and the inter-pulse interval. A model for the blocking process that takes into account both linear and nonlinear absorption along the path is developed which satisfactorily explains the observations.