Ultrafast electronic excitation in CaF₂ crystals

A new pump and probe experimental system was developed, the pump pulse duration of which is stretched and is much longer than that of the probe pulse. Using this system, time-resolved electronic excitation processes and damage mechanisms in CaF₂ crystals were studied. The measured reflectivity of the probe pulse begins to increase at the peak of the pump pulse and increases rapidly in the latter half of the pump pulse, when the pump pulse duration is stretched to 580 fs. Our experimental results indicate that both multiphoton ionization and impact ionization play important roles in the generation of conduction band electrons, at least they do so when the pump pulse durations are equal to or longer than 580fs.