Using a modified self-consistent one-dimensional hydrodynamic lagrangian fluid code, laser ablation of solid copper by ultrashort laser pulses in vacuum was simulated to study fundamental mechanisms and to provide a guide for drilling periodic microholes or microgratings on the metal surface. The simulated laser ablation threshold is a approximate constancy in femtosecond regime and increases as the square root of pulse duration in picosecond regime. The ablation depth as a function of pulse duration shows four different regimes and a minimum for a pulse duration of ~ 12ps for various laser fluences. The influence of laser-induced plasma shielding on ablation depth is also studied.
@article{arxiv.1107.3710,
title = {Numerical simulation of copper ablation by ultrashort laser pulses},
author = {PengJi Ding and BiTao Hu and YuHong Li},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1107.3710},
year = {2011}
}