The fast-response ultraviolet (UV) photoelectric effect in ZrO2 single crystals with interdigitated electrodes has been investigated experimentally at room temperature. The photovoltage of ZrO2 single crystals exhibits a linear dependence on applied bias and light power density. The photocurrent responsivity to the UV light with a wavelength of 253.65 nm is 9.8 mA/W. For the photovoltaic pulse, a rise time of 501 ps and a full width at half maximum of 1.5 ns have been obtained, when the ZrO2 single crystal is illuminated by a 266 nm pulsed laser. These results indicate that the ZrO2 single crystal is a promising candidate for UV photodetectors.
The surface shape of liquid water is well controlled during nanosecond pulse laser ablation plasma propulsion. In this study, we measured the effect of the shape on the coupling coefficient and the specific impulse. We found that the coupling coefficient and specific impulse could be optimized by varying the surface convexity. Based on the analysis of the surface radius curvature, we demonstrate that the convex surface changes the laser focal positions to achieve high efficiency.
The angular distribution and pressure force of droplets ejected from liquid water and glycerol ablated by nanosecond laser pulses are investigated under different viscosities in laser plasma propulsion. It is shown that with increasing viscosity, the distribution angles present a decrease tendency for two liquids, and the angular distribution of glycerol is smaller than that of water. A smaller distribution leads to a higher pressure force generation. The results indicate that ablation can be controlled by varying the viscosity of liquid propellant in laser plasma propulsion.
Acoustic waves generated in nanosecond pulsed-laser ablation of a solid target in both air and water-confined environments were measured experimentally. It was found that the amplitude of the acoustic wave tended to decrease with an increase in water thickness. The waves were analyzed by means of fast Fourier transform. It was shown that there are several frequency components in the acoustic waves with the dominant frequency shifting from high frequency to low frequency as the thickness of the water layer increases. Furthermore, strong acoustic pressure led to enhancement of the coupling of the laser energy to the target in laser plasma propulsion.
