M. Gyamfi
M. Costella
T. Willemsen
P. Jürgens
M. Mende
L. O. Jensen
D. Ristau

Dual wavelength laser damage mechanisms in the ultra-short pulse regime

SPIE Proceedings Vol. 10014: Laser-Induced Damage in Optical Materials
100141B-100141B-8
2016
Type: Zeitschriftenaufsatz (non-reviewed)
Abstract
New ultrashort pulse laser systems exhibit an ever increasing performance which includes shorter pulses and higher pulse energies. Optical components used in these systems are facing increasing requirements regarding their durability, and therefore understanding of the damage mechanism is crucial. In the ultra-short pulse regime electron ionization processes control the damage mechanisms. For the single wavelength, single pulse regime the Keldysh [1] and the Drude model [2] allow a quantitative description of these ionization processes. However, in this model, the electrical field is restricted to a single wavelength, and therefore it cannot be applied in the case of irradiation with two pulses at different wavelengths. As frequency conversion is becoming more common in ultra-short pulse applications, further research is needed in this field to predict the damage resistance of optical components. We investigate the damage behavior of high reflective mirrors made of different metal oxide materials under simultaneous exposure to ultra-short pulses at the wavelengths 387.5 nm and 775 nm, respectively.