Hafnia, a main optical material in high-energy laser applications, faces limitations due to precursors prone to laser damage. Addressing these precursors is critical to producing laser-resistant films. Nanobubbles within hafnia layers contribute to laser damage upon UV, nanosecond-laser exposure. This study examines hafnia film deposited by ion beam sputtering with different working gases, either Argon or Xenon. The effect of nanobubble size, which varies according to the working gas used, on the film performance under nanosecond-laser irradiation was investigated. The results indicate that the different nanobubble sizes influenced by the working gas affect the laser damage mechanism.
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