Optical Interference Coatings

NRC publication: Ye

Beschichtungsverfahren fuer Laserkomponenten im UV/VUV und NIR. Teilvorhaben: Herstellung und Analyse optischer Schichten minimaler Absorption fuer den VIS-NIR-Bereich Abschlussbericht

Optical thin films from oxides for the VIS-NIR with scatter losses in the range of 10"-"6 can be produced by Ion Beam Sputtering. When this project started the absorption losses of the films were much higher. The aim of this work was the reduction of these absorption losses. The impurities in the films and the absorption caused by them could be reduced building a new-2-chamber-system for ion beam sputtering using ECR ion sources. Damage by a too high energy transfer to the films during deposition could be reduced by sputtering from partially oxygenized targets. The build up measuring systems for scatter and absorption losses reach a resolution limit of 10"-"6. For SiO_2 films an absorption value at 514 nm of 1 cm"-"1 and for TiO_2 a value of 5 cm"-"1 was achieved. A laser mirror made from these films has absorption losses of 30.10"-"6. An AR-coating for 1064 nm is not damaged by 2 ms laser pulses with an intensity of 1 MW/cm"2. Further reduction of absorption can probably be attained by lowering the energy transfer to the films. Thus optical components for high power lasers as well as wave guide films can be produced. (orig.)SIGLEAvailable from TIB Hannover: F95B2378+a / FIZ - Fachinformationszzentrum Karlsruhe / TIB - Technische InformationsbibliothekBundesministerium fuer Forschung und Technologie (BMFT), Bonn (Germany)DEGerman

International round-robin experiment on optical total scattering at 633 nm according to ISO/DIS 13696

The measurement of total scatter losses is a major prerequisite for the development, optimization and commercialization of high quality optical components. Especially in laser technology, optical scattering gained of importance in the source of the development of laser system with ever increasing output power and improved beam parameters. Besides its influence on the efficiency of laser systems and the beam steering arrangement, total scattering is an important safety aspect for application of these laser systems in materials processing, medicine and fundamental research. As a consequence of this global trend, working groups of TC 172/SC 9 initialized the development of an International Standard for the measurement of total scattering in optical components