Periodic Surface Damage in Germanium: The Spectrum in K→ Space and Its Theoretical Interpretation

The Fourier transforms of the grating-like damage patterns formed on the surface of Ge by single 1.06µm YAG laser pulses reveal a great deal of information about the damage structure. A theory is presented based on scattering from surface roughness which accurately accounts for both the spacing and orientation of the fringes produced at various angles of incidence by beams of different polarizations.