By adopting a fast photography and time-resolved optical emission spectrometry, we have investigated the effects of transverse magnetic field on the expansion dynamics and enrichment of Zn atoms and Zn+ ions in a plume produced by laser ablation of a Zn target in oxygen atmosphere. Plume splitting due to the magnetic field was apparent but the splitting patterns of Zn and Zn+ were totally different. The surface morphology and photoluminescence characteristics also changed significantly. In particular, the growth rate increased by as much as 2.4-4.3 times compared to the conventional PLD method. (c) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.