A comparison of LIDT behavior of AR-coated yttrium-aluminium-garnet substrates with respect to thin-film design and coating technology

Several sets of polished substrates were manufactured from monocrystalline yttrium-aluminium-garnet (YAG) grown by the Czochralski method. Samples were coated by both narrow-band and broad-band dielectric anti-reflection (AR) thin-film system prepared using either reactive or ion-assisted e-beam deposition technology and tested for laser-induced damage threshold (LIDT) at 1030 nm 10 ns in s-on-1 mode according to the ISO 21254 standard. Measured damage thresholds at normal (0 deg) incidence were compared for different thin-film designs and coating technology.