High power laser coupling to carbon nano-tubes and ion Coulomb explosion

Linear and non linear interaction of laser with an array of carbon nanotubes is investigated. The ac conductivity of nanotubes, due to uneven response of free electrons in them to axial and transverse fields, is a tensor. The propagation constant for p-polarization shows resonance at a specific frequency that varies with the direction of laser propagation. It also shows surface plasmon resonance at ω = ω p / 2 , where ω p is the plasma frequency of free electrons inside a nanotube, assumed to be uniform plasma cylinder. The attenuation constant is also resonantly enhanced around these frequencies. At large laser amplitude, the nanotubes behave as thin plasma rods. As the electrons get heated, the nanotubes undergo hydrodynamic expansion. At an instant when plasma frequency reaches ω p = 2 ω , the electron temperature rises rapidly and then saturates. For a Gaussian laser beam, the heating rate is maximum on the laser axis and falls off with the distance r from the axis. When the excursion of the electrons Δ is comparable or larger than the radius of the nanotube rc , the nanotubes undergo ion Coulomb explosion. The distribution function of ions turns out to be a monotonically decreasing function of energy.