The ELI Beamlines project will deliver ultrafast laser pulses with peak powers up to 10PW available every minute and PW class beams at 10Hz complemented by a 10TW 1kHz beamline. To properly determine damage thresholds of involved optical components in conditions similar to the operational environment and with expected laser parameters, a high vacuum LIDT test station was constructed at PALS facility. Our study presents results of ISO based S-on-1 and R-on-1 tests in femtosecond regime (50fs, 800nm, 10Hz/1kHz) performed on two different types of coatings: a) highabsorption black coatings with low outgassing rates, intended for use as a beam dump surface; and b) high-reflectivity, low-dispersion 45° AOI ultrafast mirror coatings. Testing of absorptive coatings was accompanied with QMS residual gas analysis to verify, that high intensity laser radiation approaching the damage threshold does not increase concentration of volatile organic compounds in the vacuum chamber. In case of HR mirror coatings, we also investigate the effect of cleaning on LIDT value, comparing characteristic S-on-1 curves of given sample with values obtained after 12h immersion in ethanol-water solution.

Date Published: 23 November 2015
PDF: 12 pages
Proc. SPIE 9632, Laser-Induced Damage in Optical Materials: 2015, 96321B (23 November 2015); doi: 10.1117/12.2194970

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 9632:
Laser-Induced Damage in Optical Materials: 2015
Gregory J. Exarhos; Vitaly E. Gruzdev; Joseph A. Menapace; Detlev Ristau; MJ Soileau, Editor(s)