Time-resolved studies of electron–phonon relaxation in metals using a free-electron laser

Here we report recent experiments on ion emission from metals Ti, Nb, Mg.using a free-electron laser that delivers a train of subpicosecond micropulses in the mid-infrared IR.. The laser intensities for the surface damage and ion emission thresholds are used as markers for the onset of energy transfer to the lattice for ablation. Numerical calculations based on the Anisimov two-temperature model are used to evaluate the electron temperature Te and the lattice temperature Ti. The results are discussed in terms of the Hertz–Knudsen equation for vaporization and a model based on laser-induced multiple electronic transitions. q2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.