Ultrafast dynamic ellipsometry and spectroscopy of laser shocked materials

Abstract

Shock waves create extreme states of matter with very high pressures, temperatures, and volumetric compressions, at an exceedingly rapid rate of change. We review how to use a beamsplitter and a note card to turn a typical chirp pulse amplified femtosecond laser system into an ultrafast shock dynamics machine. Open scientific questions that can be addressed with such an apparatus are described. We report on the development of several single shot time resolved diagnostics needed to answer these questions. These single shot diagnostics are expected to be broadly applicable to other types of laser ablation experiments. Experimental results measured from shocked material dynamics of several systems are detailed. Finally, we report on progress towards using transient absorption as a measure of electronic excitation and coherent Raman as a picosecond probe of temperature in shock compressed condensed matter. © 2010 American Institute of Physics.