Xiaodong Wang

Investigation of 10.6 micrometer laser-induced damage on Cu mirrors and Au-coated mirrors (Cu substrate) with STM

Abstract STM has been employed to investigate laser-induced damage on Cu mirrors and Au-coated mirrors (Cu substrate). STM observation of the irradiated surfaces indicates that high-power CO 2 laser pulses transform both the smooth Cu mirror surfaces and the Au-coated mirror surfaces into a collection of tightly packed small pits, each having a different form, including approximately rectangular pits, round pits and other irregularly shaped pits. These pits approximately range from 20 to 400 A wide. In particular, we utilized the STM to detect the subtle damage pits induced by a pulse-repetition frequency (PRF) laser beam on Cu mirrors and Au-coated mirrors. In addition, we describe the physical configuration of the laser damage test system, laser and sample diagnostics and general testing procedures. We discuss the accumulation of PRF laser-induced structure damage.