Thomas Doualle

Quantitative phase imaging applied to laser damage detection and analysis

We investigate phase imaging as a measurement method for laser damage detection and analysis of laser-induced modification of optical materials. Experiments have been conducted with a wavefront sensor based on lateral shearing interferometry associated with a high-magnification optical microscope. The system has been used for the in-line observation of optical thin films and bulk samples, laser irradiated in two different conditions: 500 fs pulses at 343 and 1030 nm, and millisecond to second irradiation with a CO2 laser at 10.6 μm. We investigate the measurement of the laser-induced damage threshold of optical material by detection and phase changes and show that the technique realizes high sensitivity with different optical path measurements lower than 1 nm. Additionally, the quantitative information on the refractive index or surface modification of the samples under test that is provided by the system has been compared to classical metrology instruments used for laser damage or laser ablation characterization (an atomic force microscope, a differential interference contrast microscope, and an optical surface profiler). An accurate in-line measurement of the morphology of laser-ablated sites, from few nanometers to hundred microns in depth, is shown.

Thermo-mechanical simulations of CO2 laser–fused silica interactions

CO2 laser heating of silica glass is used in many scientific and industrial applications. Particularly, localized CO2 laser heating of silica glass has demonstrated its ability to mitigate surface damage on optics used for high power laser applications. To develop such applications, the control of temperature, heat affected area, and resulting mechanical stresses are critical. Therefore, it is necessary to understand the silica transformation, the material ejection, and the thermo-mechanical stresses induced by the laser heating and subsequent cooling. In this paper, we detail the development of comprehensive thermo-mechanical numerical simulations of these physical processes, based on finite-element method. The approach is developed for 2D or 3D cases to tackle the case of a moving beam at the surface of the sample, and we particularly discuss the choice of the different parameters based on bibliographic inputs. The thermal and mechanical numerical results have been compared to different dedicated experi...

Laser-induced birefringence measurements by quantitative polarized-phase microscopy

A technique that provides quantitative and spatially resolved retardance measurement is studied for application to laser-induced modification in transparent materials. The method is based on the measurement of optical path differences between two wavefronts carrying different polarizations, measured by a wavefront sensor placed in the image plane of a microscope. We have applied the technique to the investigation of stress distribution induced by CO2 laser processing of fused silica samples. By comparing experiments to the results of thermomechanical simulations we demonstrate quantitative agreement between measurements and simulations of optical retardance. The technique provides an efficient and simple way to measure retardance of less than 1 nm with a diffraction-limited spatial resolution in transparent samples, and coupled to thermomechanical simulations it gives access to birefringence distribution in the sample.

Effect of annealing on the laser induced damage of polished and CO2 laser-processed fused silica surfaces

We investigate the effect of different heat treatments on the laser-induced damage probabilities of fused silica samples. Isothermal annealing in a furnace is applied, with different temperatures in the range 700–1100 °C and 12 h annealing time, to super-polished fused silica samples. The surface flatness and laser damage probabilities at 3 ns, 351 nm are measured before and after the different annealing procedures. We have found a significant improvement of the initial laser damage probabilities of the silica surface after annealing at 1050 °C for 12 h. A similar study has been conducted on CO2 laser-processed sites on the surface of the samples. Before and after annealing, we have studied the morphology of the sites, the evolution of residual stress, and the laser-induced damage threshold measured at 351 nm, 3 ns. In this case, we observe that the laser damage resistance of the laser created craters can reach the damage level of the bare fused silica surface after the annealing process, with a complete ...

Heat treatment of fused silica optics repaired by CO2 laser

In the context of high power laser applications, we study the effect of a heat treatment on CO2 laser mitigation of laser damage sites on fused silica samples. The isothermal annealing in a furnace is investigated and then compared to the local annealing by CO2 laser irradiation that is applied to enhance laser damage resistance on mitigated sites. Before and after isothermal annealing, we study the sites morphology, the evolution of residual stress and the laser-induced damage threshold measured at 355nm, 3ns. The results show that the initial laser damage probabilities were significantly improved after annealing at 1050°C for 12 hours. These results are compared to simulations with a thermo-mechanical model based on finite-element method.

Simulations of CO2 laser interaction with silica and comparison to experiments

Localized CO2 laser heating of silica glass has demonstrated its ability to mitigate surface damage on optics used for high power laser applications. The parameters for this process such as the power, the beam size and the exposition time are however critical and some fundamental studies on the silica behavior under CO2 laser irradiation are required to develop the processes. It is necessary for instance to understand the silica transformation, the material ejection and the thermo-mechanical stresses induced by the laser heating and subsequent cooling. A thermo-mechanical model based on finite-element method has been used to calculate the temperature of silica heated by CO2 laser irradiation and the residual stress after cooling of the samples. The model, as the different parameters used for calculations, are detailed in this paper and the numerical results are compared to different dedicated experimental studies.

CO2 laser microprocessing for laser damage growth mitigation of fused silica optics

Abstract. We report on the development of a mitigation process to prevent the growth of UV nanosecond laser-initiated damage sites under successive irradiations of fused silica components. The developed process is based on fast microablation of silica as it has been proposed by Bass et al. [Bass et al., Proc. SPIE 7842, 784220 (2010)]. This is accomplished by the displacement of the CO2 laser spot with a fast galvanometer beam scanner to form a crater with a typical conical shape to mitigate large (millimetric) and deep (few hundred microns) damage sites. We present the developed experimental system and process for this application. Particularly, we detail and evaluate a method based on quantitative phase imaging to obtain fast and accurate three-dimensional topographies of the craters. The morphologies obtained through different processes are then studied. Mitigation of submillimetric nanosecond damage sites is demonstrated through different examples. Experimental and numerical studies of the downstream intensifications, resulting in cone formation on the surface, are presented to evaluate and minimize the downstream intensifications. Eventually, the laser damage test resistance of the mitigated sites is evaluated at 355, 2.5 ns, and we discuss on the efficiency of the process for our application.

Development of a laser damage growth mitigation process, based on CO2 laser micro processing, for the Laser MegaJoule fused silica optics

In the context of high power laser systems, the laser damage resistance of fused silica surfaces at 351 nm in the nanosecond regime is a major concern. Under successive nanosecond laser irradiations, an initiated damage can grow which can make the component unsuitable. The localized CO2 laser processing has demonstrated its ability to mitigate (stopping) laser damage growth. In order to mitigate large damage sites (millimetric), a method based on fast microablation of silica has been proposed by Bass et al. [Bass et al., Proc. SPIE 7842, 784220 (2010)]. This is accomplished by scanning of the CO2 laser spot with a fast galvanometer beam scanner to form a crater with a typical conical shape. The objective of the present work is to develop a similar fast micro-ablation process for application to the Laser MegaJoule optical components. We present in this paper the developed experimental system and process. We describe also the characterization tools used in this study for shape measurements which are critical for the application. Experimental and numerical studies of the downstream intensifications, resulting of cone formation on the fused silica surface, are presented. The experimental results are compared to numerical simulations for different crater shape in order to find optimal process conditions to minimize the intensifications in the LMJ configuration. We show the laser damage test experimental conditions and procedures to evaluate the laser damage resistance of the mitigated sites and discuss the efficiency of the process for our application.