Dynamics of laser-ablated MgB2 plasma expanding in argon probed by optical emission spectroscopy

We have used time and space-resolved optical emission spectroscopy to study the expansion dynamics of the plasma generated by pulsed laser ablation of solid targets of the recently discovered superconducting MgB2 into a background Ar gas at different pressures. Our analysis clearly indicates that, above a fixed pressure, plasma propagation into Ar leads to both the formation of a shock wave, which causes a considerable increase of the fraction of excited Mg atoms, and the simultaneous reduction of the kinetic flux energy of the ablated atoms. These results have then been analyzed in the framework of a simplified gas dynamic approach for the description of free-plume self-similar expansion and of a point-blast-wave model to account for the interaction of the plume with the Ar ambient gas, thus obtaining full support and a sound physical interpretation of our experimental observations. Finally, we have related our conclusions to the general problem of the optimization of the thin-film deposition of laser-ablated materials, with particular emphasis given to the specific case of MgB2, which is of great, present interest.