Abstract
Ionization of N2 by the third harmonic of a Nd:YAG laser is demonstrated and confirmed experimentally from both spectral and ion-collection measurements. Six photons at 355 nm excite the ground-state neutral molecule to the ionized state. Intense radiation at 391.4 nm associated with the transition was detected. The intensity of this line scales quadratically with the laser power. An ion concentration of 3.25 × 1013 ions/cm3 was detected after irradiation by a 45-mJ laser pulse focused to a diameter of 17 μm. The potential application of this ionization scheme for air velocity and temperature measurements is presented.
© 1991 Optical Society of America
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