TY - CONF A1 - Krüger, Jörg T1 - Emission of X-rays during ultrashort pulse laser processing N2 - Ultrashort laser pulses have found their way into industrial material processing. They take advantage of the fact that moderate laser fluences can produce high quality material removal without significant thermal influence. The growing availability of powerful, highly repeating laser sources and an advanced laser beam control have favored these developments. However, the laser-matter interaction can be accompanied by the production of X-rays. Small doses per laser pulse can accumulate to significant dose rates at high laser pulse repetition rates which may exceed the permitted X-ray limits for human exposure. Consequently, a proper radiation shielding must be considered in laser material processing. The paper summarizes the current state of the art in the field of undesired generation of X-ray radiation during ultrashort pulse laser material processing in air. T2 - LiM - Lasers in Manufacturing 2021 CY - Online meeting DA - 21.06.2021 KW - Ultrashort laser pulses KW - Material processing KW - X-ray emission KW - Radiation protection PY - 2021 AN - OPUS4-52865 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Krüger, Jörg T1 - Undesired X-ray emission during ultrashort pulse laser material processing N2 - The use of ultrashort laser pulses for material processing in air has many advantages. Due to the progressive development in the laser sector, average powers in the kW range with pulse repetition rates exceeding the MHz-level are available. The machining with high-intensity laser pulses can be accompanied by the generation of a near-surface electron plasma due to absorption and ionization of the material, a subsequent plasma heating by the laser pulse, and finally an interaction of “hot” plasma electrons with the workpiece leading to continuous and characteristic X-ray radiation. The amount of this unwanted X-ray radiation is determined by the laser parameters (pulse duration, intensity, wavelength, polarization), the workpiece (atomic number, surface preparation), and the laser process management (scanning or stationary regime, laser turning). The use of laser intensities above 10^13 W/cm^2 in combination with laser pulse repetition rates in the few 100 kHz-range can lead to X-ray dose rates exceeding the permitted X-ray limits for members of the public. Especially the materials tungsten and steel show significant X-ray emission. Recently, the current state of the art in the field of undesired generation of X-ray radiation during ultrashort pulse laser processing in air was reviewed. In this presentation, important aspects of the measured X-ray doses, X-ray spectra, and practical issues of radiation protection are discussed. T2 - 28th International Conference on Advanced Laser Technologies (ALT'21) CY - Online meeting DA - 06.09.2021 KW - Ultrashort laser pulses KW - Material processing KW - X-ray emission KW - Radiation protection PY - 2021 AN - OPUS4-53241 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Krüger, Jörg T1 - X-ray emission during ultrashort pulse laser material processing N2 - The unwanted emission of X-rays during ultrashort pulse laser material processing in air was already reported more than 20 years ago for pulse repetition rates in the 1 kHz range [1]. It was stated that an enclosure of the experimental setup is necessary to protect the operator from X-rays. By now, the use of ultrashort pulse laser technology has become established in industry using repetition rates in the multi 100 kHz up to the GHz range and laser average powers up to the kW level. Since 2018/2019, more and more investigations have been carried out on the hazards from X-rays at higher laser pulse repetition rates [2-4]. Recently, maximum X-ray skin dose rates of the order of 1 Sv/h (iron target [5]) and X-ray photon energies of up to 40 keV (tungsten target [6]) were reported. Measures must be taken to shield the unwanted X-rays. T2 - 10th Conference on Applications of Femtosecond Lasers in Materials Science (FemtoMat) CY - Mauterndorf, Austria DA - 24.02.2025 KW - Ultrashort pulse laser KW - Material processing KW - X-ray emission KW - Radiation protection PY - 2025 AN - OPUS4-62665 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER -