Time-resolved transmission of thin gold films during laser blow-off

The transmission through thin gold films on optical quartz during laser blow-off with 15 ns, 532 nm laser pulses has been measured. Dramatic changes in transmission mark the duration of the blow-off event with laser fluences above the threshold for removal. The integrated laser fluence required to blow-off the films is roughly independent of incident laser fluence, and is close to that expected to raise the temperature of the film to the boiling point at the film-support interface.