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Optics Express

Optics Express

  • Editor: C. Martijn de Sterke
  • Vol. 19, Iss. 6 — Mar. 14, 2011
  • pp: 5690–5697

Optics InfoBase > Optics Express > Volume 19 > Issue 6 > Page 5690

Femtosecond pulse damage thresholds of dielectric coatings in vacuum

Duy N. Nguyen, Luke A. Emmert, Paul Schwoebel, Dinesh Patel, Carmen S. Menoni, Michelle Shinn, and Wolfgang Rudolph  »View Author Affiliations


Optics Express, Vol. 19, Issue 6, pp. 5690-5697 (2011)
http://dx.doi.org/10.1364/OE.19.005690


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Abstract

The dielectric breakdown behavior of dielectric coatings in studied for different ambient gas pressures with femtosecond laser pulses. At 10−7 Torr, the multiple femtosecond pulse damage threshold, Fm, is about 10% of the single pulse damage fluence F(1) for hafnia and silica films compared to about 65% and 50%, respectively, at 630 Torr. In contrast, the single-pulse damage threshold is pressure independent. The decrease of Fm with decreasing air pressure correlates with the water vapor and oxygen content of the ambient gas with the former having the greater effect. The decrease in Fm is likely associated with an accumulation of defects derived from oxygen deficiency, for example vacancies. From atmospheric air pressure to pressures of ~3x10−6 Torr, the damage “crater” starts deterministically at the center of the beam and grows in diameter as the fluence increases. At pressure below 3x10−6 Torr, damage is initiated at random “sites” within the exposed area in hafnia films, while the damage morphology remains deterministic in silica films. A possible explanation is that absorbing centers are created at predisposed sample sites in hafnia, for example at boundaries between crystallites, or crystalline and amorphous phases.

© 2011 OSA

OCIS Codes
(140.3330) Lasers and laser optics : Laser damage
(140.7090) Lasers and laser optics : Ultrafast lasers
(310.6870) Thin films : Thin films, other properties

ToC Category:
Lasers and Laser Optics

History
Original Manuscript: February 9, 2011
Revised Manuscript: March 2, 2011
Manuscript Accepted: March 3, 2011
Published: March 11, 2011

Citation
Duy N. Nguyen, Luke A. Emmert, Paul Schwoebel, Dinesh Patel, Carmen S. Menoni, Michelle Shinn, and Wolfgang Rudolph, "Femtosecond pulse damage thresholds of dielectric coatings in vacuum," Opt. Express 19, 5690-5697 (2011)
http://www.opticsinfobase.org/oe/abstract.cfm?URI=oe-19-6-5690


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