High Laser-Induced-Damage Threshold Optics

What you need to know about laser damage before you buy laser optics – and what questions you need to ask your vendor.

TREY TURNER, REO INC.

Despite nearly 50 years of study, [color=rgb(255, 96, 0)]laser damage continues to be a topic of some confusion for both [color=rgb(255, 96, 0)]optics manufacturers and consumers. Laser optics purchasers need to know the primary causes of damage and the steps that fabricators typically take to minimize them. They must engage in a meaningful dialogue with potential vendors to understand what questions to ask when qualifying a supplier.

Laser damage regimes

Damage is a problem in virtually every wavelength regime in which lasers operate. However, the damage mechanisms of lasers operating in the visible and near-visible spectra are distinct from those of lasers operating in the far-infrared and deep-ultraviolet. For brevity, this article will concentrate on lasers operating in the visible, [color=rgb(255, 96, 0)]near-ultraviolet