Laser vaporisation of absorbing liquid under transparent cover

Vaporization of absorbing liquid (water) under a transparent solid cover upon exposure to nanosecond pulses of a holmium laser (λ = 2920 nm) is studied using acoustic and optical diagnostics. The features of the optical signal reflected from the liquid–cover interface suggest that a vapor cavity appears at a submicrometer distance from this interface and exists for about one hundred microseconds. An additional acoustic signal appearing after returning the light signal to the initial level is caused by known cavitation effects accompanying vapor cavity fracture and collapse in liquid.