Laser induced aerosol formation mediated by resonant excitation of volatile organic compounds

• DOI: 10.1364/optica.434659
• Publication Date: 2021-08-27T16:00:23Z
• Authors: V. Shumakova; E. Schubert; T. Balčiūnas; M. Matthews; S. Ališauskas; D. Mongin; A. Pugžlys; J. Kasparian; A. Baltuška; J.-P. Wolf
• Keywords: info:eu-repo/classification/ddc/333.7-333.9; 103021 Optics; ddc:500.2; 02 engineering and technology; Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics; info:eu-repo/classification/ddc/500.2; EVOLUTION; Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials; PULSES; FILAMENTATION; 11. Sustainability; 103021 Optik; 0210 nano-technology

Since its first demonstration, laser induced aerosol formation (LIAF) has been studied in various environmental conditions and parameters. LIAF driven by UV near-IR lasers mainly relies on the nitrogen photo-oxidative chemistry, leading to production of hygroscopic <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"> <mml:mrow class="MJX-TeXAtom-ORD"> <mml:msub> <mml:mi mathvariant="normal">H</mml:mi> mathvariant="normal">N</mml:mi> mathvariant="normal">O</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> <mml:mn>3</mml:mn> </mml:msub> </mml:math> , which stabilizes growth nanoparticles. Mid-IR were expected be drastically less effective for LIAF, due their much lower multiphoton photodissociation ionization rates. Here, we report observation surprisingly high yields nanometric sub-µm mid-IR pulses, cannot explained -pathway. We hereby evidence a new mechanism stabilization growth, based resonant excitation volatile organic compounds (VOCs) pulses whose spectrum is broadened during filamentation.