Lasers are an important instrument in ophthalmology. To provide safe photodisruption-based procedures, laser-induced breakdown in liquids and corresponding physical phenomena must be well understood. We used a diode-pumped solid-state laser with 1 ns pulses to induce breakdown in distilled water in a cell. Cavitation bubbles and shock waves were detected using beam-deflection probe, PZT sensor and high-speed camera. We determined threshold energies for laser-induced breakdown and maximal bubble radii at different distances between the breakdown volume and the cell wall. We analyzed bubble and shock wave dynamics near a solid boundary and a free surface. We established, that the used detection methods are suitable and reliable.
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