Optical emission investigation of laser-produced MgB2 plume expanding in an Ar buffer gas
arXiv:cond-mat/0204374 · doi:10.1063/1.1484549
Abstract
Optical emission spectroscopy is used to study the dynamics of the plasma generated by pulsed-laser irradiation of a MgB2 target, both in vacuum and at different Ar buffer gas pressures. The analysis of the time-resolved emission of selected species shows that the Ar background gas strongly influences the plasma dynamics. Above a fixed pressure, plasma propagation into Ar leads to the formation of blast waves causing both a considerable increase of the fraction of excited Mg atoms and a simultaneous reduction of their kinetic flux energy. These results can be particularly useful for optimizing MgB2 thin film deposition processes.
11 pages,4 figures, Applied Physics Letters in press