laser damage threshold
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Abstract Surface defects (SDs) and subsurface defects (SSDs) are the key factors decreasing the laser damage threshold of optics. Due to the spatially stacked structure, accurately detecting and distinguishing them has become a major challenge. Herein a detection method for SDs and SSDs with multisensor image fusion is proposed. The optics is illuminated by a laser under dark field condition, and the defects are excited to generate scattering and fluorescence lights, which are received by two image sensors in a wide-field microscope. With the modified algorithms of image registration and feature-level fusion, different types of defects are identified and extracted from the scattering and fluorescence images. Experiments show that two imaging modes can be realized simultaneously by multisensor image fusion, and HF etching verifies that SDs and SSDs of polished optics can be accurately distinguished. This method provides a more targeted reference for the evaluation and control of the defects of optics, and exhibits potential in the application of material surface research.

Optically transparent single crystals of ethyl p-hydroxybenzoate (EPHB) were successfully grown by the vertical Bridgman technique. The crystalline phase and unit-cell dimensions were obtained from powder X-ray diffraction using Rietveld analysis. The presence of defects and grain boundaries was investigated by high-resolution X-ray diffraction. The optical quality of the grown single crystal was assessed by UV–Vis and photoluminescent spectroscopies. A blue emission, with a bi-exponential decay time, was obtained from time-resolved photoluminescence upon laser excitation at 266 nm. The mechanical strength of the EPHB single crystal was studied by Vickers hardness testing. A decrease in the laser-damage threshold was observed with a nanosecond Nd:YAG laser source for increased pulse repetition rates. The third-order nonlinearity, nonlinear absorption coefficient and nonlinear refractive index were measured using the Z-scan technique with a femtosecond Ti:sapphire laser. The third-order nonlinear coefficient values for the grown crystal were compared with those of a potassium dihydrogen phosphate single crystal.

AbstractHigh-harmonic generation is a cornerstone of nonlinear optics. It has been demonstrated in dielectrics, semiconductors, semi-metals, plasmas, and gases, but, until now, not in metals. Here we report high harmonics of 800-nm-wavelength light irradiating metallic titanium nitride film. Titanium nitride is a refractory metal known for its high melting temperature and large laser damage threshold. We show that it can withstand few-cycle light pulses with peak intensities as high as 13 TW/cm2, enabling high-harmonics generation up to photon energies of 11 eV. We measure the emitted vacuum ultraviolet radiation as a function of the crystal orientation with respect to the laser polarization and show that it is consistent with the anisotropic conduction band structure of titanium nitride. The generation of high harmonics from metals opens a link between solid and plasma harmonics. In addition, titanium nitride is a promising material for refractory plasmonic devices and could enable compact vacuum ultraviolet frequency combs.

Improving the technology of diamond turning of aluminum alloys is of great importance for expanding the application areas of metal-optical products based on aluminum in aerospace technology. The aim of this work was to study the effect of surface inhomogeneities of the initial aluminum alloy substrates on their optical and mechanical characteristics and to determine ways of improving the quality of aluminum reflector mirrors manufactured using nanoscale single point diamond turning. The investigated reflector mirrors were made from AMg2 aluminum alloy. The optical surface treatment was carried out on a precision turning lathe with an air bearing spindle using a special diamond cutter with a blade radius of ≤ 0.05 μm. The analysis of the surface structure of the AMg2 alloy substrates was carried out by scanning electron microscopy / electron microprobe. The quality control of the surface treatment of the manufactured reflector mirrors was carried out by atomic force microscopy. The reflectivity and radiation resistance of these samples were also investigated.It is shown that an important problem in the manufacture of optical elements from aluminum alloys is the inhomogeneity of the structure of the initial material, associated with the presence of intermetallic inclusions. Heat treatment of the AMg2 alloy substrates at T ≥ 380 °C makes it possible to improve the quality of surface and the radiation resistance of aluminum mirrors both by removing mechanical stresses and by partially homogenizing the starting material. The optimum is heat treatment at the maximum allowable temperature for the AMg2 alloy T = 540 ºС, as a result of which there is a complete disappearance of intermetallic inclusions with an increased magnesium content. The use of high-temperature heat treatment of AMg2 alloy substrates allows, in comparison with unannealed samples, to reduce the surface roughness from 1.5 to 0.55 nm, to increase the reflectivity of mirrors at a wavelength of 1064 nm from 0.89 to 0.92, and to increase the laser damage threshold from 3.5 to 5 J / cm2.