High reflection mirrors for pulse compression gratings References and links

Stéphanie Palmier (1) , Jérôme Neauport (1) , N Baclet (2) , E Lavastre (1) , G Dupuy (1)

1 CESTA - Centre d'études scientifiques et techniques d'Aquitaine
2 LITEN - Laboratoire d'Innovation pour les Technologies des Energies Nouvelles et les nanomatériaux

We report an experimental investigation of high reflection mirrors used to fabricate gratings for pulse compression application at the wavelength of 1.053µm. Two kinds of mirrors are studied: the mixed Metal MultiLayer Dielectric (MMLD) mirrors which combine a gold metal layer with some e-beam evaporated dielectric bilayers on the top and the standard e-beam evaporated MultiLayer Dielectric (MLD) mirrors. Various samples were manufactured, damage tested at a pulse duration of 500fs. Damage sites were subsequently observed by means of Nomarski microscopy and white light interferometer microscopy. The comparison of the results evidences that if MMLD design can offer damage performances rather similar to MLD design, it also exhibits lower stresses; being thus an optimal mirror substrate for a pulse compression grating operating under vacuum.

Keywords: Ultrafast lasers; Diffraction and gratings; laser-induced damage; Femtosecond phenomena

Domains: Optics [physics.optics]; Optics / Photonic

Stéphanie Palmier, Jérôme Neauport, N Baclet, E Lavastre, G Dupuy. High reflection mirrors for pulse compression gratings References and links. Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion, 2008, 17, pp.20430-20439. ⟨cea-01217068⟩