Article Abstracts | February 2007
The complete article appears in the February 2007 issue of Photonics Spectra. If you do not have a copy of this issue,
e-mail us a request. Be sure to include your street address or fax number.
Trends in Laser Damage
Threshold Testing of Thin-Film Optics Automated inspection can help detect laser damage.
by Alan Streater and Trey Turner, Research Electro-Optics Inc.
The demand for high-energy laser systems has increased steadily in recent years, driven by applications in defense, semiconductor processing and basic research, among others. The systems range from those that are continuous wave (CW) to those with femtosecond pulses and that have wavelengths from the ultraviolet to the mid-infrared. However, in many cases the weak link in the system is the thin-film coatings that comprise the mirrors and antireflection surfaces within the laser cavity or along the beam path.
Optical components have various damage mechanisms and performance for some regimes of laser operation. For example, thin-film coatings designed for optimal damage resistance under short-pulse conditions are not the same as those designed for optimal CW performance...
Start a discussion on this article or any photonics topic in the Photonics.com Community Forum