Automatic YAG damage test benches: additional possibilities

The automatic damage test benches allow to obtain more data in less time but also to imagine new laser damage tests. Thereby, new questions can be asked and more answers can be provided. In this paper, the 3 YAG automatic damage test facilities build up at the laboratory will be shown. There are based on well-known principles : an half wave plate to adjust the wished peak fluence and a scattered light measurement in real time to detect the damage appearances. Many tests are developed around these benches as the usual hon-i, N-on-i, R-on-1, S-on-i tests and raster scans previously proposed by other laboratories. On all our test benches, these standard tests are driven by the same software designed at the laboratory : "Wintfl". But new tests and characterizations are also added. Indeed, on these thcilities the aging ofthe optics at various repetition rate under constant fluence (like S-on-i with or without a limit number of shots) are carried out. An automatic defect count has been also implemented. This tool is able to evaluate the number of defects after cleaning or after coating but also between laser irradiation. New tests are also imagined. The so-called HR-on-i test (High Ramp), which is a R-on4 (Ramp) test without beginning at zero has been achieved. It allows to compare 1-on-I and R-on-1 distributions performed with exactly the same damage criterion. Other parameters can be investigated as the speed of the motor ramp during the R-on-1 test, the pulse repetition frequency during the S-on-i test,... In this article, after a short presentation of our test bench facilities, the convenient possibilities of automatic YAG test benches are illustrated with experimental results.