Sol-gel optical thin films for an advanced megajoule-class Nd:glass laser ICF-driver
- CEA Limeil-Valenton, Velleneuve Saint Georges (France)
- REOSC - groupe SFIM, Saint Pierre du Perray (France); and others
It is well established by manufacturers and users that optical coatings are generally prepared by the well known Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD) technology. In the authors` opinion sol-gel technology is an effective and competitive alternative. The aim of this paper is to emphasize on the sol-gel thin film work carried out at CEA Limeil-Valenton and concerning the technology for high power lasers. The authors will briefly discuss the chemistry of the sol-gel process, the production of optical coatings and the related deposition techniques. Finally, the paper describes performance of sol-gel optical coatings the authors have developed to fulfill the requirements of a future 1.8 MJ / 500 TW (351 nm) pulsed Nd:glass laser so-called << LMJ >> (Laser MegaJoules). This powerful laser is to be used for their national Inertial Confinement Fusion (ICF) program, to demonstrate at the laboratory scale, ignition of deuterium-tritium fusion fuel. Moreover, the aim of this article is, hopefully, to provide a convincing argument that coatings and particularly optical coatings, are some of the useful products available from sol-gel technology, and that exciting developments in other areas than high power laser technology are almost certain to emerge within the coming decade.
- Research Organization:
- International Society for Optical Engineering, Washington, DC (United States)
- OSTI ID:
- 552077
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-9510106-Vol.2714; TRN: 97:005737-0054
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: 27. annual symposium on optical materials for high power lasers, Boulder, CO (United States), 30 Oct - 1 Nov 1995; Other Information: PBD: [1996]; Related Information: Is Part Of Laser-induced damage in optical materials: 1995. Twenty-seventh annual Boulder damage symposium, proceedings; Bennett, H.E.; Guenther, A.H.; Kozlowski, M.R.; Newnam, B.E.; Soileau, M.J. [eds.]; PB: 794 p.
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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