Non-contact ultrasonic acquisition of femtosecond laser-driven ablative Mbar-level shock waves on Ti alloy surface

Mbar-level ablative plume pressures, produced by single-shot femtosecond laser ablation of a dry Ti alloy surface and driving shock waves in air and in the solid target, were characterized using non-contact broad-band ultrasonic measurements. X-ray diffraction measurements reveal the resulting shock-wave induced sub-GPa residual compressive stresses over multi-micrometer depths inside the target, indicating GPa-level residual compressive stresses on its surface.