In Situ Characterization of Laser Ablation by Pulsed Photoacoustics: The Case of Organic Nanocrystal Synthesis

Here, a new methodology based on the pulsed photoacoustic (PA) technique for real-time monitoring of the ablation process used to synthesize organic nanocrystals is described. The methodology is implemented by ablating microcrystals grown from an organic chromophore with nonlinear optical properties. It was determined that the PA signal from the ablation process increases in amplitude and is time-shifted as the ablation process advances. Comparing the PA signals generated at different ablation times under different laser fluences with the nanocrystal characterization obtained through light scattering, optical microscopy, and AFM, it was demonstrated that the pulsed PA technique can be useful for monitoring the process and determining the threshold of ablation.