摘要
By using a novel temporal characterization technique, we determined that a threshold average laser power of 160 mW is required to drill through a 0.75-mm-thick cortical bone for a Nd:YVO 4 mode-locked laser oscillator with a peak intensity of 1.3 GW/cm 2 . The ablation mechanism is identified as average-power induced carbonization followed by peak-power induced avalanche ionization in the carbonized osseous tissue. © 2007 Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers.