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Silicon clusters produced by femtosecond laser ablation: Non-thermal emission and gas-phase condensation

Alexander V. Bulgakov·Igor Ozerov·Wladimir Marine
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Abstract

Neutral silicon clusters Si_n (up to n = 7) and their cations Si_n+ (up to n = 10) have been produced by femtosecond laser ablation of bulk silicon in vacuum and investigated using time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Two populations of the Si_n+ clusters with different velocity and abundance distributions in the ablation plume have been clearly distinguished. Possible mechanisms of cluster formation (Coulomb explosion, gas-phase condensation, phase explosion) are discussed.

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Alexander V. Bulgakov, Igor Ozerov, Wladimir Marine. 2004-03-10. Silicon clusters produced by femtosecond laser ablation: Non-thermal emission and gas-phase condensation. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00339-004-2856-y

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