Time-resolved probing of electron thermal conduction in femtosecond-laser-pulse-produced plasmas

We present time-resolved measurements of reflectivity, transmissivity and frequency shifts of probe light interacting with the rear of a disk-like plasma produced by irradiation of a transparent solid target with 0.1ps FWHM laser pulses at peak intensity 5 x 10l4W/CM2. Experimental results show a large increase in reflection, revealing rapid formation of a steep gradient and overdense surface plasma layer during the first picosecond after irradiation. Frequency shifts due to a moving ionization created by thermal conduction into the solid target are recorded. Calculations using a nonlinear thermal heat wave model show good agreement with the measured frequency shifts, further confining the strong thermal transport effect