Optimisation of modulation period of TiO2/Al reactive multilayer films for laser-driven flyer plates

Abstract Reactive multilayer films (RMFs) are a type of energetic nano-composite material and can be integrated into ablative layer structures using micro-electro-mechanical systems technology. They could potentially be applied to a laser-driven flyer detonator. In this study, TiO 2 /Al-based RMFs with two different modulation periods were integrated into multilayer flyer plates using magnetron sputtering technology, which produced nano-energetic multilayer films with optimised performance for laser-driven flyer plate systems. The effects of the TiO 2 /Al RMFs on the laser-driven properties of the RMF flyer were then systematically investigated in terms of the electron temperature and density using laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy. Measurements of the RMF flyer velocity were performed using a photonic Doppler velocimetry system. Electron temperatures of 6331.2–10563.0 K, electron densities of 4.03–12.69 × 10 15  cm −3 , and flyer velocities of 3854.7–6417.7 m/s were produced in the RMFs merely by changing the modulation period of the TiO 2 /Al RMF. This behaviour was also consistent with that found using a thermal conduction model in combination with a mass-diffusion reaction model. The RMF flyer exhibited a high level of integrity and promoted laser-driven energy efficiency, which are significant for improving the performance of a laser-driven flyer detonator for military and civilian applications.