Femtosecond laser ablation of iron

The method of interference microscopy is used to study the features of iron ablation under single exposure to laser pulses with a duration of $60$ fs of moderate intensity $10^{12}$–$10^{13}$ W/cm$^2$. The value of the reflection coefficient is measured and the value of the threshold of thermomechanical ablation is determined from the absorbed energy density. The evolution of the crater bottom morphology and the dependence of their depth on the energy density of laser pulses are studied.