Laser ablation of a Pb(ZrxTi1−x)O3 target in a pulsed oxygen jet

Abstract Time-of-flight (TOF) quadrupole mass spectroscopic studies on a crossed beam scattering of a Pb(ZrxTi1−x)O3 plume and a pulsed oxygen jet were performed by direct sampling of ions escaping from a laser-induced plasma (plume). Transport and energetics of ions in the plume were significantly affected by mechanical collisions and reactive scatterings. Relative enrichment of metal and metal oxide ions was also changed by the oxygen jet because of the differences in the mass and chemical properties of the ions. In particular, an anomalous increase of Pb+ ions was observed at high laser fluences with the oxygen pulse on.