Open AccessPrevention of laser damage precursors in spaceborne ultraviolet antireflection coatings
Author(s) -
Thimotheus Alig,
Nils Bartels,
Paul Allenspacher,
Istvan Balasa,
Tammo Böntgen,
Detlev Ristau,
Lars Jensen
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
optics express
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.394
H-Index - 271
ISSN - 1094-4087
DOI - 10.1364/oe.418368
Subject(s) - materials science , laser , anti reflective coating , optics , optical coating , ultraviolet , nanosecond , raster scan , irradiation , optoelectronics , coating , extreme ultraviolet , pulse duration , nanotechnology , physics , nuclear physics
In order to enhance the reliability and performance of space-based Lidar systems, it is desirable to increase the damage resistance of ultraviolet antireflective coatings. For laser pulses with nanosecond pulse duration, laser-induced damage is known to be triggered by nano-sized defects embedded in the optical coating. In this work, we demonstrate the mitigation of damage precursors during the manufacturing of ion-beam sputtered (IBS) coatings using two approaches: ion bombardment with a secondary ion source and laser irradiation with a nanosecond-pulsed laser. Optical coatings produced with both technologies show a significantly increased damage threshold when tested in large-area raster scans.