Ice crystallization induced by optical breakdown

Ice crystallization in supercooled water has been initiated by focused Nd:YAG laser pulses at 1064 nm wavelength. The pulses of 8 ns duration and up to 2 mJ energy produce a bubble in the supercooled liquid after optical breakdown and plasma formation. The subsequent collapse and disintegration of the bubble into fragments was observed to be followed by ice crystal nucleation in many, but not all cases. Details of the crystallization events have been investigated by high-speed imaging, and nucleation statistics and crystal growth rates are given. It is argued that homogeneous nucleation in the compressed liquid phase is a plausible explanation of the effect.