In the context of high power laser systems, the laser damage resistance of fused silica surfaces at 351 nm in the nanosecond regime is a major concern. Under successive nanosecond laser irradiations, an initiated damage can grow which can make the component unsuitable. The localized CO2 laser processing has demonstrated its ability to mitigate (stopping) laser damage growth. In order to mitigate large damage sites (millimetric), a method based on fast microablation of silica has been proposed by Bass et al. [Bass et al., Proc. SPIE 7842, 784220 (2010)]. This is accomplished by scanning of the CO2 laser spot with a fast galvanometer beam scanner to form a crater with a typical conical shape. The objective of the present work is to develop a similar fast micro-ablation process for application to the Laser MegaJoule optical components. We present in this paper the developed experimental system and process. We describe also the characterization tools used in this study for shape measurements which are critical for the application. Experimental and numerical studies of the downstream intensifications, resulting of cone formation on the fused silica surface, are presented. The experimental results are compared to numerical simulations for different crater shape in order to find optimal process conditions to minimize the intensifications in the LMJ configuration. We show the laser damage test experimental conditions and procedures to evaluate the laser damage resistance of the mitigated sites and discuss the efficiency of the process for our application.
We report on the development of a mitigation process to prevent the growth of UV nanosecond laser-initiated damage sites under successive irradiations of fused silica components. The developed process is based on fast microablation of silica as it has been proposed by Bass et al. [Bass et al., Proc. SPIE 7842, 784220 (2010)]. This is accomplished by the displacement of the CO2 laser spot with a fast galvanometer beam scanner to form a crater with a typical conical shape to mitigate large (millimetric) and deep (few hundred microns) damage sites. We present the developed experimental system and process for this application. Particularly, we detail and evaluate a method based on quantitative phase imaging to obtain fast and accurate three-dimensional topographies of the craters. The morphologies obtained through different processes are then studied. Mitigation of submillimetric nanosecond damage sites is demonstrated through different examples. Experimental and numerical studies of the downstream intensifications, resulting in cone formation on the surface, are presented to evaluate and minimize the downstream intensifications. Eventually, the laser damage test resistance of the mitigated sites is evaluated at 355, 2.5 ns, and we discuss on the efficiency of the process for our application.
In the context of high power laser applications, we study the effect of a heat treatment on CO2 laser mitigation of laser damage sites on fused silica samples. The isothermal annealing in a furnace is investigated and then compared to the local annealing by CO2 laser irradiation that is applied to enhance laser damage resistance on mitigated sites. Before and after isothermal annealing, we study the sites morphology, the evolution of residual stress and the laser-induced damage threshold measured at 355nm, 3ns. The results show that the initial laser damage probabilities were significantly improved after annealing at 1050°C for 12 hours. These results are compared to simulations with a thermo-mechanical model based on finite-element method.
Scratches at the surface of fused silica optics can be detrimental for the performance of optical systems because they initiate damage on the optic but also they perturb the amplitude or phase of the transmitted laser light. Removing scratches by conventional polishing techniques can be time consuming as it is an iterative and long process, especially when hours of polishing time are required to obtain very high surface accuracy. So we have investigated ways to remove them with local laser processing. The silica is then heated at temperature higher than the softening point to heal the cracks.
Localized CO2 laser heating of silica glass has demonstrated its ability to mitigate surface damage on optics used for
high power laser applications. The parameters for this process such as the power, the beam size and the exposition time
are however critical and some fundamental studies on the silica behavior under CO2 laser irradiation are required to
develop the processes. It is necessary for instance to understand the silica transformation, the material ejection and the
thermo-mechanical stresses induced by the laser heating and subsequent cooling. A thermo-mechanical model based on
finite-element method has been used to calculate the temperature of silica heated by CO2 laser irradiation and the
residual stress after cooling of the samples. The model, as the different parameters used for calculations, are detailed in
this paper and the numerical results are compared to different dedicated experimental studies.
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