Control of ultrafast laser ablation efficiency by stress confinement due to strong electron localization in high-entropy alloys

In the context of current state of the art, understanding the laser ablation efficiency decrease for pulse durations exceeding the mechanical relaxation time of a few ps remains a pending research question. A heuristic approach may be used to reveal the role of effective penetration depth on ablation efficiency. Extending familiar contributions of this quantity by a term related to the mechanical surface expansion during pulse irradiation, the relation of ablation efficiency and pulse duration is deciphered. Thus, longer pulses are coupled into an expanded surface, revealing a direct link to the violation of stress confinement. To best demonstrate this hypothesis, a material with high electron–phonon coupling as well as low thermal conductivity, i.e., strong electron localization, is required. These properties are accomplished by high-entropy alloys, and the CrMnFeCoNi alloy serves as prime candidate. We report on single-pulse ablation efficiency experiments of the CrMnFeCoNi alloy which are support by our proposed model.