Recent results on bulk laser damage threshold of optical glasses

Abstract

Modern pulsed laser applications cover a broad range of wavelength, power and pulse widths. Beam guiding optics in laser systems do not only have specific requirements on the imaging quality but also have to withstand high laser power. The laser damage threshold of an optical component depends on the surface (polishing, coating ...) and also on the bulk material properties. Actual values of bulk laser damage thresholds, particularly at pulse lengths less than 1 nanosecond (1 ns), of optical glasses are rarely found in literature, except for fused silica, which is known as a key optical material for components in high power laser. However, fused silica is rather expensive and limited in optical properties. That is the reason why customers often ask for laser damage threshold data of optical glasses. Therefore, SCHOTT has started a project for the characterization of the bulk laser damage threshold of optical glasses at the wavelengths 532 nm and 1064 nm with pulse lengths in the nano- and pico-second range. Bulk and surface laser damage testing has been performed by the Laser Zentrum Hannover in Germany according to the S-on-1 test of DIN EN ISO 11254-2 / DIN EN ISO 21254.