A rigorous electrodynamic model for periodic structure formation during UV laser-induced metal atom deposition

A model is presented which describes the time and spatial frequency evolution of periodic structures formed during metal atom deposition arising from UV laser-induced photodissociation of organometallics. In addition to the occurrence of rapid growth of spatial frequencies which allow direct coupling of the incident radiation to the surface-plasmon polariton (SPP), a high-wavevector profile component, associated with the interference of counterpropagating SPP waves, also develops with extremely high gain but without feedback. Pump/probe diffraction methods foo verifying the predictions and elucidating the surface modification of photodissociation are briefly proposed. Deposition of aluminum by photolysis of (CH3)3Al at 257 nm is chosen as the model system.