Comparison of femtosecond laser ablation of gold and nickel

The ablation of gold and nickel with a single exposure to $80$-fs laser pulses with a moderate intensity $(10^{12}$–$10^{13}$ W/cm$^2)$ is studied by intereference microscopy. The reflection coefficients were measured, and the threshold values of thermomechanical ablation were determined from the absorbed energy rate. The crater morphology and the dependence of their depth on the rate of the laser-pulse energy are studied.