Femtosecond Laser-Matter Interactions: Solid-Plasma-Solid Transformations at the Extreme Energy Density

This book succinctly describes the ultra-short laser-matter interactions from the subtle atomic motion under the gentle excitation up to the generation of extreme pressures by the beam tightly focussed inside the bulk of a transparent crystal. It is the fully rewritten successor to Femtosecond Laser-Matter Interactions: Theory, Experiment and Applications (2011). Explanation and experimental verification of the exceptional technique for the phase transformations under extreme pressure are in the core of the book. The novel phase formation occurs along the unique solid-plasma-solid transformation path: The memory of the initial state is lost after conversion to plasma, and the restructuring proceeds during the cooling of the confined plasma. The extreme-pressure-affected material remains detained inside a pristine crystal at the laboratory tabletop. The super-dense aluminium and the previously unobserved crystalline phases of silicon were created by this method of confined micro-explosions. Recent studies have used the quasi-non-diffracting Bessel beams for increasing the number of new phases. The applications comprise the new material formation at extreme conditions and micromachining. The book is an engaging literature for readers interested in the cutting-edge research on the extreme energy density generation at the laboratory tabletop.