Laser spectroscopy of the products of photoevaporation with a short-wavelength (λ = 193 nm) excimer laser

An excimer laser spectrometer was designed and constructed. It consists of a high-vacuum interaction chamber, a short-wavelength (λ = 193 nm) excimer ArF laser used for evaporation, a probe dye laser pumped by an XeCl excimer laser, and a system for recording a laser-induced fluorescence signal. This spectrometer was used to investigate nonthermal mechanisms of photoevaporation of a number of wide-gap dielectrics.