Abstract

By using a train of picosecond pulses from a mode-locked Nd glass laser, we have measured electrical current generated on the surface of the thin films of noble metals. Normally the noble metals have very high reflectivity. To enhance the absorption, the surface plasma waves at 1.06 µm were excited at the metal-air interface by the method of attenuated total reflection. The sample signals are calibrated against the optical rectification in KDP. By varying the laser Intensity, we discovered that the sample current varies linearly with the optical rectification in KDP. This indicates that the signal is E² dependent.

© 1982 Optical Society of America