Investigations on single and multiple pulse laser-induced damages in Al2O3/SiO2 multilayer dielectric films at 355 nm

In view of the fact that the weak laser damage resistance of HfO2/SiO2 coatings at 355 nm hinders the observation of the fatigue effect, nanosecond single and multiple pulse laser damage studies on Al2O3/SiO2 high-reflective coatings were performed at 355 nm. Relative to that at the long wavelength, the fatigue effect at 355 nm is very weak and complicated. The damage probability curves and the evolution of the laser-induced damage threshold under multiple irradiations reveal that the fatigue effect is affected by both laser fluence and shot number. As the laser fluence or number of shots increases, the fatigue effect becomes more apparent. The damage morphologies induced by single and multiple irradiations both manifest as micrometer-scale pits without plasma scalding around, with the characteristics of a high defect density and high absorption coefficient. In particular, the accumulation damage mechanism at 355 nm may be reflected not only in the newly created defects but also in the modification of the coating material around the damage precursors. Thus, the coatings at 355 nm "seem to" have no damage growth threshold, no matter what the laser fluence is; once damage occurs, the damage site will grow sharply under subsequent pulses finally resulting in catastrophic damage. (C) 2018 Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE)