Fast-ICCD photography and gated photon counting measurements of blackbody emission from particulates generated in the KrF-laser ablation of BN and YBCO

Fast intensified CCD photography and gated photon counting following KrF-laser irradiation of YBCO and BN targets reveal the first observations of very weak emission from slow-moving ejecta up to 2 cm from the target and times extending to ≈1.5 ms. Time-of-flight velocities inferred from the emission measurements indicate velocities (v to approximately (0.45-1.2)×10⁴ cm s^-1) comparable to those measured for the large particles which often accompany the pulsed laser deposition process. Gated photon counting is employed to obtain temporally resolved spectra of this weak emission. The spectral shape is characteristic of blackbody emission, which shifts to longer wavelengths as the particles cool during flight in vacuum. Estimates of the temperature of the particles are made based on the emissivity of a perfect blackbody and range from 2200 K to 3200 K for both BN and YBCO when irradiated at Φ₂₄₈ = 3.5 J cm^-2 and 1.5 J cm^-2, respectively. The temperature decrease of the particles in vacuum is compared to a radiative cooling model which gives estimates of the initial surface temperature and radii of the particles.