Laser ablation of a turbid medium: Modeling and experimental results

Q- switched Nd:YAG laser ablation of a turbid medium ( paint ) is studied. The optical properties ( absorption coefficient, scattering coefficient, and its anisotropy ) of a paint are determined with a multiple scattering model ( three-flux model ), and from measurements of reflection-transmission of light through thin layers. The energy deposition profiles are calculated at wavelengths of 532 nm and 1.064 mu m. They are different from those described by a Lambert-Beer law. In particular, the energy deposition of the laser beam is not maximum on the surface but at some depth inside the medium. The ablated rate was measured for the two wavelengths and compared with the energy deposition profile predicted by the model. This allows us to understand the evolution of the ablated depth with the wavelength: the more the scattering coefficient is higher, the more the ablated depth and the threshold fluence of ablation decrease. (c) 2006 American Institute of Physics.