Emission characteristics and dynamics of neutral species in a laser-produced tin plasma

We investigated the emission features of tin neutrals in a laser-ablated tin plasma using time and space resolved optical emission spectroscopy. The tin plume was generated by focusing 1064 nm, 10 ns pulses from a Nd : YAG laser on a tin slab target placed in a vacuum chamber. We examined the properties of the tin neutrals at various spatial locations from the target surface and at different laser irradiance levels. The neutral tin particles were found to be moving with a velocity close to the expansion velocity of singly charged ions at shorter distances from the target surface while their velocity was considerably reduced at distances >5 mm. Spatially and temporally resolved emission studies also showed a double peak structure in the temporal profiles of excited neutral tin at shorter distances from the target surface. (Some figures in this article are in colour only in the electronic version)