Influence of plasma, surface, and angle on interlinked X-ray emission dynamics in femtosecond burst pulse ablation

The ablation of solid materials using ultrashort laser pulses at high intensities leads to the emission of X-rays. This effect is particularly pronounced when burst pulses are applied due to pulse-to-pulse interactions within a burst. Simultaneously, the resulting surface topography changes depending on whether single pulses or burst pulses are used. This study experimentally investigates the spectral X-ray emission during the ablation of 304L-steel with single and burst pulses, varying the detection angle and predefined laser parameters. The aim is to analyze how surface topography, which evolves during ablation, influences the measurements of X-ray emission during area irradiation. The results indicate that surface topography-induced shielding of X-ray emission occurs for single and MHz-burst pulses, but only at fluences where characteristic surface structures form. In the MHz-burst regime, additional shielding effects arise from interactions with the ablation plume, which also contribute to a shift toward higher-energy X-ray photons. In contrast, GHz-burst pulses preserve a smooth surface across all investigated fluences, preventing shielding of X-rays.