The effect of an electric field on the thermomechanical damage of nodular defects in dielectric multilayer coatings irradiated by nanosecond laser pulses

• DOI: 10.1038/lsa.2013.36
• Publication Date: 2013-06-21T06:17:10Z
• Authors: Xinbin Cheng; Jinlong Zhang; Tao Ding; Zeyong Wei; Hongqiang Li; Zhanshan Wang
• Keywords: 02 engineering and technology; 0210 nano-technology

Researchers in China have studied how the electric-field distribution of light affects the laser-induced damage of coatings. Xinbin Cheng and co-workers from Tongji University in Shanghai fired 10-ns-duration laser pulses from a 1,064 nm Nd:YAG laser onto a multilayer dielectric coating on BK7 glass substrate. To simulate the role of nodular defects, which act as precursors for damage, the team introduced 0.3–1.9 μm silica microspheres to the glass substrate prior to application of the coating. They then modelled the electric-field distribution at different nodule sites using finite-difference time-domain simulations, and experimentally analysed the laser-induced damage using microscopy and focused ion-beam technology. The results are expected to aid the development of coatings to provide superior resistance to laser damage.