  We determine the laser-induced ablation threshold fluence in air of aluminum
and tungsten excited by single near-infrared laser pulses with duration ranging
from 15 fs to 100 fs. The ablation threshold fluence is shown constant for both
metals, extending the corresponding scaling metrics to few-optical-cycle laser
pulses. Meanwhile, the reflectivity is measured providing access to the
deposited energy in the studied materials on a wide range of pulse durations
and incident fluences below and above the ablation threshold. A simulation
approach, based on the two-temperature model and the Drude-Lorentz model, is
developed to describe the evolution of the transient thermodynamic and optical
characteristics of the solids (lattice and electronic temperatures,
reflectivity) following laser excitation. The confrontation between
experimental results and simulations highlights the importance of considering a
detailed description and evolution of the density of states in transition
metals like tungsten.
