Laser ablation in CdZnTe crystal due to thermal self-focusing: Secondary phase hydrodynamic expansion

The present paper deals with the laser ablation in CdZnTe crystal irradiated by pulsed infrared laser. Two values of threshold intensities of the laser ablation were determined, namely of about 8.5 and 6.2 MW/cm2 for the incident and the rear surfaces, correspondingly. Lower intensity of the laser ablation for the rear surface is explained by thermal self-focusing of the laser beam in the CdZnTe crystal due to heating of Te inclusions with a following hydrodynamic expansion.