Abstract

We present a method for measuring absorption at the 1 × 10⁻⁵ cm⁻¹ level in high-quality optical materials. Using a Shack-Hartmann wave-front detector, thermal lensing in these materials may be measured. Then, the absorption coefficient may be estimated by fitting the observed deformation to a thermal lensing model based on the temperature dependences of the refractive index and the thermal expansion coefficient. For a particular sample of fused silica, the absorption coefficient was determined to be 1.8 ± 0.4 × 10⁻⁵ cm⁻¹. Obtaining this result requires a resolution in the optical path length better than ±0.1 nm.

© 2003 Optical Society of America

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Author Affiliations

Sanichiro Yoshida, David H. Reitze, David B. Tanner, Justin D. Mansell

S. Yoshida (syoshida@selu.edu) is with the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory—Livingston, 19100 Ligo Lane, P.O. Box 940, Livingston, Louisiana 70754 and with the Department of Chemistry and Physics, Southeastern Louisiana University, SLU 10878, Hammond, Louisiana 70433. D. H. Reitze and D. B. Tanner are with the Department of Physics, University of Florida, P.O. Box 18440, Gainesville, Florida 32611. J. D. Mansell is with Intellite, Inc., 1717 Louisiana, Suite 202, NE, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87110.

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