Three-dimensional photonic crystals (PCs) are periodic materials with a modulated refractive index on a length scale
close to the light wavelength. This optical property allows the preparation of specific optical components like highly
reflective mirrors. Moreover, these structured materials are known to have a high laser-induced damage threshold
(LIDT) in the sub-nanosecond range compared to multi-layered dielectric mirrors. This property is obtained because only
one high LIDT material (silica) is used. The second material used in the layer stack is replaced by air. In this work, we
present the development of 3D PCs with narrow-sized colloidal silica particles, prepared by sol-gel process and
deposited with Langmuir-Blodgett technique. Different syntheses routes have been investigated and compared regarding
the optical properties of the PCs. Finally a numerical model based on an ideal opal network including defect influence is
used to explain these experimental results.
This paper reports a study on correlation between stress field generated by extensive crystalline defects such as
dislocation or growth boundaries and laser damage. It is found that stress fields decrease laser damage resistance. This result is compatible with the hypothesis that laser damage precursors consist of clusters of punctual defects.
Indeed, such defects are affected by stress fields as their concentration varies in order to minimize the free energy of the crystal. Chemical analysis carried out on one of the crystal tend to show that the punctual defects
involved are intrinsic rather than extrinsic.
Previous work on KDP has shown that thermal annealing could improve laser damage resistance of KDP optics at 3w. However, the improvement varies with the pulse length: whereas a strong improvement was observed at 16ns, no improvement at all was observed for a pulse length of 2.5ns. Whatever the pulse length, though, combinations of laser conditioning and thermal annealing led to better results than laser conditioning alone. The goal of this study is to verify if these results also hold for DKDP. A major difference is that, due to quadratic to monoclinic high temperature transition, the annealing temperature considered for KDP cannot be applied to KDP. This paper reports the temperature range considered for DKDP as well the modifications brought by thermal annealing on laser damage resistance at 12ns and 2.5ns.
KDP is a non linear optical crystal used for frequency conversion in high power applications. In this paper we present
results of optical non-destructive measurements on different fast growth KDP crystals in order to characterize the
precursors responsible for laser-induced damage. We performed two types of analysis: the first one is temporally
resolved photoluminescence excited by a pulsed Nd:YAG laser at 4.66 eV and 3.49 eV (266 nm and 355 nm). The
second is spatially resolved photothermal deflection pumped by a CW Argon laser at 3.53 eV (351 nm).
With these two complementary techniques we highlight the presence of large scale inhomogeneities and we discriminate
nano-scale defects statistically distributed in the bulk of the crystals.
The rasterscan test procedure implemented in order to determine low laser damage density of large aperture UV
fused silica optics was improved in terms of accuracy and repeatability. Tests have been carried on several facilities
using several pulse durations and spatial distributions. We describe the equipment, test procedure and data analysis to
perform this damage test with small beams (Gaussian beams, about 1mm @ 1/e, and top hat beams). Then, beam overlap
and beam shape are the two key parameters which are taken into account in order to determine damage density. After
data analysis and treatment, a repeatable metrology has been obtained. Moreover, the consideration of error bars on
defects distributions permits to compare data between these installations. This allows us to look for reproducibility, a
necessary condition in order to share results and to make reliable predictions of laser damage resistance. For that, a
careful attention has been paid to beam analysis.
A rasterscan test procedure [L. Lamaignère et al, Rev. Sci. Instrumen. 78, 103105 (2007)] has been
implemented in order to determine low laser damage density of large aperture UV fused silica optics. This
procedure was improved in terms of accuracy and repeatability. Tests have been carried on several facilities
using several pulse durations and spatial distributions. We describe the equipment, test procedure and data
analysis to perform this damage test with small beams (Gaussian beams, about 1mm @ 1/e, and top hat beams).
Then, beam overlap and beam shape are the two key parameters which are taken into account in order to
determine damage density. After data analysis and treatment, a repeatable metrology has been obtained.
Moreover, the consideration of error bars on defects distributions permits to compare data between these
installations. This allows us to reach reproducibility, a necessary condition in order to share results and to make
reliable predictions of laser damage resistance.
A rasterscan test procedure [L. Lamaignère et al, Rev. Sci. Instrumen. 78, 103105 (2007)] has been implemented
in order to determine low laser damage density of large aperture UV fused silica optics. This procedure was improved in
terms of accuracy and repeatability and is now used for the determination of bulk damage density for KDP crystals. The
large area (volume) scanned during tests permits to measure very low damage density. On small samples, small area are
tested using the normalized 1/1 test procedure consisting on the irradiation of few sites at several fluences. The classical
damage probability plot is converted in terms of damage density. The two testing procedures are complementary: the 1/1
mode is practical to test a wide fluence range while the rasterscan mode allows exploring low damage densities with
higher accuracy.
Tests have been carried out on several facilities using several pulse durations and spatial distributions. We
describe the equipment, test procedure and data analysis to perform this damage test with small beams (Gaussian beams,
about 1mm @ 1/e, and top hat beams). Then, beam overlap and beam shape are the two key parameters which are taken
into account in order to determine damage density. After data analysis and treatment, a repeatable metrology has been
obtained. Moreover, the consideration of error bars on defects distributions permits to compare data between these
installations. This allows us to reach reproducibility, a necessary condition in order to share results and to make reliable
predictions of laser damage resistance.
Other tests are realized with larger beams (centimeter sized) and with a single shot. Due to a large beam contrast,
a large fluence range is then covered. Then after data treatment, we find a good correlation between tests realised with
small and large beams. This allows us to make tests with different laser characteristics (spectral modulations, pulse
duration, laser polarisation) and then to study their influences on laser damage.
The lifetime of silica optics in high power laser facility as the Laser MégaJoule (LMJ) is typically limited by the
initiation of surface damages and their subsequent growth. To prevent this problem, a mitigation technique is used: it
consists in a local melting of silica by CO2 laser irradiation on the damage site. Because of the difficulty to produce
efficient mitigated sites with large depth, the characterization of damage site to mitigate is very important. In this
context, confocal microscopy appears to be an efficient solution to detect precisely cracks present under the damage site.
In order to characterize the effect of thermal annealing on laser damage resistance of KDP,
several combinations of laser conditioning and thermal annealing were applied to two SHG KDP
samples. One sample was tested at 3ω, 16ns and the other one at 3ω, 2.5ns. Results show that
whereas thermal annealing improves laser damage for a 16ns pulse, no effect can be measured at a
pulse length of 2.5ns. Combining laser conditioning and thermal annealing has a stronger effect
on laser damage resistance than laser conditioning alone, even for a 2.5ns pulse length for which
thermal annealing was found to have little or no influence. It was also found that for a short pulse
length maximum gain was obtained when thermal annealing was applied after laser conditioning.
Significant improvement in polishing processes of fused silica optical components, has increased optics lifetime at the
wavelength of 351 nm. Nonetheless, for large laser operation facilities like the Laser MegaJoule (LMJ), zero defect
optics are not yet available. Therefore a damage mitigation technique has been developed to prevent the growth of
initiated damage sites: this technique consists in a local melting and evaporation of silica by CO2 laser irradiation on the
damage site. Because of the difficulty to produce efficient mitigated sites with large depth, the initial depth of damage to
mitigate is a critical issue. An aim of our work was to determine the real extension of the damage site (including
fractures) for different laser pulse durations between 3 ns and 16 ns and at different laser fluences. The fractures are nondetectable
in conventional microscopy. The depth of the damage can thus be underestimated. Hence confocal microscopy, was used to observe these sub-surface fractures and to measure precisely the depth of damage. Results show that the damage is 2 to 4 times wider than deeper and this ratio is independent of the pulse duration and of the fluence. With this new information, the mitigation process can now be optimized.
Potassium dihydrogen phosphate (KH2PO4 or short KDP) is one of the major nonlinear optical crystals for frequency
conversion and electro-optic switching in high power lasers. In particular, this material has been chosen for the
frequency converters of the Laser Mega Joule in France and the National Ignition Facility in the US. These laser work
close to the damage threshold of the crystals and large efforts have been provided to improve the laser induced damage
threshold for KDP at different wavelength.
We present in this paper first results of a new setup dedicated to the correlation of non destructive luminescence
spectroscopy and destructive laser damage tests. We concentrate on the differences between conventionally grown KDP
and KDP-crystals that have been produced by the rapid growth method that has been developed in the last years
especially for the large laser installations LMJ and NIF. Different photoluminescence spectra are obtained from
conventionally and rapidly grown KDP for both pump configurations: (i) pulsed pumping by the forth harmonic of a
Nd:YAG laser at 266nm, and (ii) continuous pumping using a frequency doubled Argon ion laser at 244nm.
The laser resistance of large optical components remains an important limitation for the performances and the maintenance costs in LMJ or NIF projects. For practical reasons LIDT studies are commonly performed with small samples and table top lasers whose characteristics change from one to another. In these conditions, it is necessary to know exactly the influence of the different experimental parameters (wavelength, spot size, ...) on the final data. These considerations are particularly true in heterogeneous materials as KDP crystals. Indeed the use of different laser beam sizes (from μm to hundreds μm) to plot laser damage probability curves had clearly shown that at 355nm in KDP, it is possible to exhibit a limit of irradiated area which permit to distinguish two different LIDT associated with two laser damage precursors densities. This prior result has put in evidence the influence of irradiated beam size in the discrimination of different kinds of defects in KDP. We present in this paper a systematic study of beam size effect in KDP for three different wavelengths: 355nm, 532nm and 1064nm. This study performed in 1:1 and R:1 mode will reveal precursors for each wavelength and their respective evolution under repetitive shots for small and large beams. This multi-parameters study will help us to highlight mechanisms involved in laser-induced damage in KDP crystal.
In this paper, we present various laser conditioning experiments which have been performed with KDP SHG and DKDP THG samples. The different conditioning facilities used delivered laser pulses at 351 nm in the nanosecond (from 3 to 12 ns) or in the sub-ns (600 ps) regime. Finally, the efficiency of the various conditioning protocols was compared: 526 nm-6 ns and 351 nm-3 ns damage tests were performed respectively on SHG and THG samples. The results show that laser-conditioning SHG KDP samples at 351 nm either with ns or sub-ns pulses allows reducing the laser damage density so that it becomes consistent with the specification of high power lasers. They also confirm that conditioning THG DKDP samples at 351 nm using sub-ns pulses is more efficient than using ns pulses.
As laser conditioning ever increases the performance of KDP optics with respect to laser induced bulk damage so that it can meet high-power laser specifications, it is expected that surface damage may become the next threat that must be dealt with. This paper presents new data on surface damage initiation and growth at 3w. A surface damage mitigation process based on the ball-dimpling method is presented along with the first results on the behavior of this process with respect to laser irradiation.
For large aperture solid state lasers, the laser resistance of the optical component remains an important limitation
for the performances and the maintenance costs. Since decades, laser induced damage has been intensively
studied in order to understand and control the origin of the phenomenon. LID measurements are commonly
performed with table top lasers whose characteristics change from one to another and, sometimes, the scaling
laws do not permit to explain the experimental differences. For example, we have previously demonstrated that,
in KH2PO4 (KDP) crystals, the laser beam size can influence strongly the determination of the damage probability.
Here, we present a systematic study realized on KDP crystal to quantify the influence of the beam size
on the LIDT (Laser Induced Damage Threshold) measurement at 355 nm. The use of an unique Gaussian beam
ranged from micronic to sub-millimetric sizes permits to highlight different types of laser-damage precursor.
LIDT measurements realized with beams of small (lower than 100 microns at 1/e2)or large (upper than 400 microns at
1/e2)dimensions give information about the behavior of material regarding precursor defects.
In this paper we examine how optical techniques can be used for impurities and defects detection in KH2PO4 (KDP)
components. This is important in so far as some of these defects are responsible for a weaker than expected laser-induced
threshold in these materials. Photothermal deflection, polariscopy, fluorescence and photoexcitation are
investigated with the aim of localizing and identifying the laser-induced damage precursors. Impurities concentration
is measured directly by ICP-AES and Fe is accordingly checked to be at the origin of a higher absorption in the
prismatic sectors of rapidly grown KDP crystals. We also exhibit a fluorescence signal in the near-ultraviolet range
by pumping at 248 nm; in rapidly grown crystals, in the same way as iron, the incorporation rate of the fluorescent
centers is shown to depend on the growth sector.
In this paper, we present different procedures of laser conditioning realized on KDP doubler crystals. First, components
are treated either with an excimer laser (SOCRATE facility, 351 nm, 12 ns) or a Nd: YAG laser (MISTRAL facility,
355 nm, 7 ns). Then damage tests are performed at 2ω (532 nm - 5 ns BLANCO facility) and 3ω (355 nm - 2.5ns
LUTIN facility) in order to estimate the conditioning gain for these two wavelengths.
For the best procedures, results show that it is possible to increase laser damage threshold at 532 nm so that it becomes
compatible with the nominal specifications of the LMJ. Moreover, tests realized at 355 nm highlight also an
encouraging improvement for the laser conditioning of tripler crystals.
A thermal model is considered to better understand Laser-Induced Damage and conditioning mechanism in
KH2PO4 (KDP) and D2xKH2(1-x)PO4(DKDP) crystals. We mainly focus on two points, the probed volume of
the laser beam and the optimization of the conditioning process. Our predictions are in agreement with recent
experimental data.
This study is concerned with the identification of the defects responsible for laser damage observed on
KDP/DKDP frequency triplers used in high power lasers. We reported at BDS 2005 a non destructive high energy X-ray
topographic setup able to characterize lattice imperfections in optics. Results obtained using this technique on KDP and
DKDP crystals are reported and discussed. The influence of each type of defect, observed or likely to exist in optics, is
discussed in light of damage mechanisms recently published. Finally, an experimental setup presumably able to reveal
those defects is proposed.
One of the major issues met in the operating of high power lasers concerns the cleanliness of laser components. In this context, in order to assess laser-induced damage in presence of metallic particulate contamination, we study the behaviour of aluminum on a silica substrate. Model samples containing calibrated aluminum square dots of 50 x 50 μ2 have been deposited by photolithography on a silica substrate. The sample was irradiated by a Nd:YAG laser at 1064 nm with different fluences and also different numbers of shots on each dot. Then the initial aluminum dot zone and the surrounding silica were analyzed using Nomarski microscopy, profilometry and photothermal microscopy. Laser fluence is revealed to be a very important parameter for the behaviour of aluminum dots. For example, it is possible to find a fluence of irradiation where aluminum dots are blown off the substrate and only small modifications occur to silica. In this case, increasing the number of shots doesn't significantly affect the silica surface.
Multiple laser irradiations induce a critical issue as regards the time of life of optical components. The problem can appear either in high repetition rate lasers or in high power systems even at low frequency. Two opposite behaviors are commonly observed under repetitive irradiations. A "fatigue effect" of materials under subsequent shots is generally observed and results in a decreasing of laser induced damage threshold (LIDT), but in some cases an improvement of LIDT can be noticed. This second effect linked to the pre-irradiation is well known as "conditioning" of the material. In most cases the LIDT in optical components is specified in 1:1, S:1 or R:1 modes, whatever the application of the real system. The aim of this paper is to show that the LIDT is strongly dependant on the parameters of irradiation such as shot number, shot frequency, wavelength and location in the material (surface or bulk). Therefore in order to approach a "true" value of LIDT it is necessary to test the component in the conditions of use, considering all the influential parameters. To illustrate this purpose the influence of previous parameters is studied for KDP and silica. This study shows that we can define a "functional laser damage threshold" in repetitive shot mode and also that the time of life could be deduced for each component. Furthermore these results can be useful to optimize the parameters involved in the conditioning processes.
KDP crystals are currently used for frequency conversion and Pockels cells in large aperture laser systems such as the LMJ and NIF. These different functions are obtained by cutting the KDP crystals with different orientations. We show by measuring the LIDT with three different facilities, that the cut angle plays a key role in the damage mechanism. Consistently with the three measurement set-ups, we demonstrate that the doublers have a weaker LIDT value than the triplers. The z-cut KDP samples have a LIDT higher than both the doublers and the triplers. These results are analyzed in terms of probed volumes and pulse duration.
At very high powers the energy for a single shot in the LIL/LMJ laser is today limited among others by the robustness of the KDP-based components used for frequency conversion. Subsequently it is vitally important to improve as much as possible the Laser Induced Damage Threshold (LIDT) of these components to make possible even more powerful shots. The exceptionally large aperture of such lasers (40*40 cm2) required the development of rapid growth methods. Investigations are under way to improve the damage resistance of such materials by implementing more efficient conditioning procedures. In this work we focus on composition heterogeneities induced by the rapid growth method in KDP crystals and we examine the impact on the laser-damage resistance. Two LIDT measurement facilities are used to investigate KDP triplers robustness. Spatially resolved LIDT measurements at 355 nm show that the LID resistance is significantly lower in some regions. The efficiency of the excimer conditioning in the different regions is also addressed.
The high-power Laser MegaJoule (LMJ) for inertial confinement fusion experiments that is currently under construction at CEA-CESTA in France will require a high number of large aperture Pockels cells and frequency converters made of potassium dihydrogen phosphate (KDP) and DKDP (Deuterated KDP). These optical components will be operated several times a year at fluences close to their Laser Induced Damage Threshold (LIDT) which may reduce significantly their lifetime and increase substantially the maintenance costs of the LMJ. In a global effort to reduce these costs we have designed the SOCRATE facility as a complete system for materials characterization, LIDT measurement and optics conditioning by laser to increase their lifetime. In this paper we examine the relevance of adapting the laser conditioning process to the bulk KDP quality. First the existence of heterogeneities in large KDP crystals is stressed; next the LIDTs in the different parts of the crystals using focused or collimated beams are compared. Finally we focus on the efficiency of the excimer conditioning process in the different growth sectors of KDP samples and demonstrate that for the current conditioning process the efficiency depends only weakly on the original material heterogeneities.
To obtain better understanding of particulate contamination, chromium dots (50 x 50 μm2) were deposited on a silica substrate by photolithography. The aim in using this sample is to observe the mechanism of damage initiation that can be attributed to surface contamination of micro-metric size. A Nd:YAG laser irradiated the sample at 1064 nm for different fluences and also different numbers of shots. Several methods were used to characterise the laser effects on the chromium dots and the silica substrate: "Nomarski", "atomic force" and photothermal microscope observations.
The laser fluence is found to be the most important parameter for the behaviour of the chromium dots. At low fluence (<1 J/cm2), they become cracked (fractured). At medium fluence (around 1 J/cm2) chromium fusion is reached and chromium oxide appears. Finally at higher fluence (3 J/cm2), although chromium dots are blown off the substrate and small damage to silica occurs on the first shot, the subsequent shots do not lead to a dramatic increase in the damage.
A statistical model for the interpretation of laser damage
probability curves is investigated. In a previous study, shapes
and slopes of the curves were related to the spot size and to the
densities of nanodefects that are responsible for damage. Each
kind of precursors was characterized by its damage threshold. We
improved this study when considering a Gaussian distribution of
precursor thresholds. Accurate probability curves of laser induced
damage (1-on-1, 5-ns single shot at 1.064-μm) are then plotted
in bulk and at the surfaces of optical components and fitted with
the model including Gaussian distribution of precursor thresholds.
Threshold mean value, threshold standard deviation and precursor
defect densities are extracted for the different kinds of observed
precursors. To illustrate our investigation, we present results
achieved on different substrates, which establish a better
agreement between theory and experiment.
In order to increase the laser induced damage threshold of KDP crystal, a well-known solution consists in a laser conditioning process. In our case, the irradiation of the crystal is performed with an excimer laser XeF (λ = 351 nm, 16 ns). The improvements in laser damage thresholds measured at CEA/CESTA laboratory (Lutin, Yag facility 2.5 ns, parallel beam) and at CEA/Ripault laboratory (Excimer facility 16 ns, focused beams) are different. A possible reason to explain this difference is the depth of focus between both facilities. In order to minimize the influence of limited depth of focus, a solution consits in a multi-plane conditioning process. By means of a local study, it is possible to exhibit with a high accuracy the Laser Induced Damage Threshold (LIDT) in different planes along sample irradiation axis (z-axis). The laser damage threshold is measured locally (8 μm) at 355 nm with a Nd:Yag (pulse duration 7 ns) at Fresnel Institute Marseille.
Using the local LIDT measurements, the purpose of this paper is to highlight the depth of focus in the excimer conditioning process. We demonstrate that it is possible to exhibit a local increase in the conditioning gain till a maximum value, measured with the excimer laser.
The recent progresses in optical components manufacturing have permitted to increase strongly the laser-induced damage threshold. However, in high power laser applications, the slightest inhomogeneity of the material can lead to an irreversible breakdown. Considering the difficulty to eliminate the whole defects, it is important to have an accurate tool to exhibit the smallest absorbing centers assumed to be precursors of laser damage. We propose in this paper to describe a non destructive technique based on the photothermal effect induced by local absorbing inhomogeneities in order to detect nano-scale absorbing defects. The purpose will be illustrated by the detection of artificial isolated metallic inclusions of a few ten nanometers in the bulk of transparent substrates and thin-film coatings. The high spatial resolution of detection is obtained thank to a piezolectric 3D stage. Moreover, the photothermal setup coupled with a laser damage facility, permits to follow with high accuracy the evolution of these defects under laser irradiation and determine a pre-damage stage ten times lower than the surface damage.
In order to understand the mechanisms of laser damage initiation, we study “model” samples constituted of pure silica seeded with 3 nm gold particles. Numerical simulations are performed with a 1-D hydrodynamic code to determine the laser light absorption by a spherical nanoparticle. This code also simulates the thermal conduction, radiative transfer and ionization by UV light emitted by the heated metallic particles. The setup used for experimental studies is a high resolution, high sensitivity photothermal microscope. This setup allows correlation between optical absorption and laser irradiation. We observe the silica transformation in terms of absorption modification as a function of the irradiation fluence. The morphology of irradiated samples surface is observed thanks to “Nomarski” and “atomic force” microscopy and compared to photothermal microscopy results. A correlation is observed between flaked silica and strongly absorbing areas.
In the context of high power laser applications, laser-induced-damage in fused silica is still a limitation which need more study. To obtain better understanding of induced-breakdown processes, pure silica "model" samples, seeded with 100-250 nm diameter gold nanoparticles have been prepared. The aim in using these samples is to observe the mechanism of damage initiation that can be attributed to inclusions of nano-metric size. These samples were studied in a series of experiments using a photothermal microscope coupled with an experimental set-up allowing damage threshold measurement at wavelength 1064 nm. This installation is of great interest because it enables us to combine the laser irradiation of the sample with the optical absorption measurement. An evaluation of the silica transformation as a function of the fluence of irradiation can thus be obtained from the experimental results. These experimental data are completed with "Nomarski" and "atomic force" microscope observations, and then interpreted. Finally, we compare our results to numerical simulations performed with a 1-D hydrodynamic code. These simulations indicate that the threshold for melting the gold inclusion as a function of the incident laser fluence exceeds the threshold at which the absorption of the inclusion decreases.
During the first steps of optical silica substrate preparation, cracks due to mechanical stress appear on the surface in a thickness of a few microns. The following stage of polishing is useful to reduce those cracks and to decrease the roughness thanks to specific abrasive liquids. The consequence of this process is a contamination of the silica on the considered layer. These different contaminants could be suspected to be precursor centers of laser damage. An estimation of this critical thickness can be done by studying the morphology of the laser-induced damages. Results obtained by observation after irradiation with an atomic force microscope confirms that a thickness of a few microns seems to be involved. The study proposed here, consists in an investigation of the layer which is responsible of surface damages. We use a statistical model previously developed to determine the precursors density from laser damage probability curves. At first, we will present results based on the study of liquids used for the polishing of bare silica glasses. Subsequently, we will correlate these results with the laser-induced damage threshold of the substrates. Finally, we will describe a method allowing us to measure the thickness of this surface contamination layer. To illustrate our purpose, we will present results achieved on bare silica.
In the context of high power laser applications like the French "Laser Megajoule" or the "National Ignition Facility" in the United States, laser-induced-damage in fused silica appears to be a limitation. Although it has been established that nano-sized defects are suspected to be responsible of the damage initiation in optical
components, the induced-breakdown process is still unknown. The specific apparatus developed at the Institut Fresnel permits to study in real time the laser interaction on an isolated absorbing defect (around 100 nm): Indeed the coupling of a nanosecond focused laser (beam diameter about 10μm) and a high resolution photothermal
microscope (beam diameter 1μm) in a unique facility permits to highlight the evolution of the local absorption of the defect versus irradiation energy density. Furthermore, the morphology of this modification is followed thanks to a "refraction mapping" (photothermal deflection measured at frequency 0). An in-situ
dark field microscope and an ex-situ AFM complete the observations. In order to simulate the presence of the nano-defects, engineered sub-micronic gold particles (100-600 nm) were embedded in silica samples. The whole observations contribute in the understanding of the different stages of the damage initiation and more particularly, a determination of a "pre-damage" threshold can be performed.
Cumulative laser irradiations are performed on silica at 1064nm and 355nm with a 7ns pulsed laser. The experiments are made in bulk and surface of materials thanks to a focused beam (12μm and 8μm respectively for each wavelength). The small beam size combined to a reliable statistical measurement of laser damage, allow us to plot accurate laser damage probability curves. Moreover the use of an adapted statistic model permit to deduce from these curves the laser
damage precursor centers densities. These nano-sized precursors are established by different works to be responsive of the breakdown initiation.
In a previous work realized at 1064nm, we have observed in our specific conditions, that multiple irradiation leads clearly to a decrease of the laser damage threshold. Furthermore we have highlighted that at this wavelength, the precursor densities were invariant with the number of shot. These results had given novel information about the damage initiation process. Indeed the same precursor centers seems to be involved in the initiation process in spite of the decrease of they laser damage threshold whatever the number of shot.
In this paper we will shown new results obtained at 355nm in silica with the same measurement process. The case of silica surface is also examined for the two wavelengths. The experimental data exhibit a strong different behavior, regarding the precursor densities evolution versus the number of shot.
The improvement of LIDT value of optical components had lead to develop a lot of experimental setups and procedures of test around the world. In this context it is often very difficult to make accurate comparisons of laser damage threshold values between the different apparatus. The differences are due to the procedure of test, the spatial and temporal beam variations, the laser damage criterion and others.
A specific laser damage testing apparatus, with an accurate damage initiation detection and allowing a real time acquisition of the different shot parameters, lead to exhibit the influence of each parameter on the damage process. Laser beam profiling is performed in real time and give access to the fluence for one pixel (0.2μm2), therefore an effective fluence or a pixel fluence can be calculated in order to reach an “absolute” threshold value.
The metrology developed will be detailed and some results obtained on silica and BK7 at 1064nm and 355nm with different procedures of test will be presented and discussed to illustrate the aim of this study.
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