Can a 10 nm facet area achieve 10^12W/m^2 for laser heating on a tungsten tip?

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers on the feasibility of achieving a power density of 1012 W/m2 on a tungsten tip with a facet area of 10 nm, using continuous wave (CW) laser illumination. The calculations presented utilize the 1D heat equation, factoring in the geometry of a cone and rod configuration, while assuming all laser power is absorbed at the facet. Key concerns include the potential for ablation due to the small facet size relative to the wavelength of visible and near-infrared light, as well as the implications of local electric field enhancement and photon penetration depth into the tungsten tip.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of 1D heat equation in thermal analysis
  • Familiarity with tungsten properties and thermal conductivity
  • Knowledge of laser physics, particularly CW laser operation
  • Concepts of plasmon enhancement and electric field interactions at nanoscale
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Researchers in nanotechnology, physicists studying laser-material interactions, and engineers working on advanced heating techniques for photoemission applications.

Benindelft
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I am doing some basic heat calculations about a CW laser illuminated tungsten tip (which should be used for photoemission) - I started to play with the tip geometry to try and find a way to get more flux Watts/metre^2 onto the tip without it melting. I found that after solving the 1d heat equation for a cone and then including a rod on the other end (held at T=300K):

{dT=\frac{Q}{k*A(z)}dZ=\Dint{T_{facet}}{T_{shaft}}=\Dint{Z_{facet}}{Z_{shaft}} \frac{Q}{kz^{2}tan^{2}\theta\pi}dZ}
which comes out as

{Q=\frac{T_{facet}-300}{\frac{facetradius^{-1}-shaftradius{^-1}}{tan^{\theta\pi}k}+\frac{shaftlength}{shaftradius^2{\pi}k}}}

This assumes (wrongly of course) that all the laser power is absorbed on only the facet of the tip.

Now my calculations tell me that if I make the facet area around 10 nm i can apply 10^12W/m^2.

Is this possible? Am I not doing something that should ablate my tip immediatly ?
 
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I might be completely on the wrong track, but - would it not cause problems if the object you want to heat is so much smaller than the wavelength of the light you are using ?

If it is visible light, we are talking of ca. 500nm, and let's say 1000nm if you use near infrared. So your object at 10nm is about 100 times smaller, have you considered this in your calculations ?
 
I don't have anything in the calculations, but I am pretty sure that we get quite a strong local electric field enhancement, that's all good (as long as it doesn't blow up the tip). There might also be some plasmon enhancement I think (but really not sure , I read that tungsten doesn't have a strong plasmon enhancement).

If there is an increase in the Power Density then that's not important (I can just supply less power initially to compensate). I am more worried about the penetration depth of the photons into the tip and what that means to the tip on such a small scale?

Can you suggest anything other things to consider?