Considerations For The Choice Of Optics For High Power Laser Applications

The intensity of radiation which an optical component can withstand without damage is a crucial parameter in evaluating the role of the component in high-power laser appliations. In many cases, this damage threshold is the limiting factor in the design of high power beam trains. In this paper, our current understanding of the interactions that lead to laser induced damage are reviewed. In particular, those features that distinguish thin-film damage mechanisms from bulk damage mechnanisms are emphasized. The scaling laws predicted by current models of laser-induced damage are discussed along with a comparison of their predictions and experimental data. Speculation is then presented on those properties of materials in thin film form that make them more susceptible to laser induced damage than when in bulk form.