Ultra-fast photoluminescence as a diagnostic for laser damage initiation
Using high-sensitivity confocal time-resolved photoluminescence (CTP) techniques, we report an ultra-fast photoluminescence (40ps-5ns) from impurity-free surface flaws on fused silica, including polished, indented or fractured surfaces of fused silica, and from laser-heated evaporation pits. This fast photoluminescence (PL) is not associated with slower point defect PL in silica which has characteristic decay times longer than 5ns. Fast PL is excited by the single photon absorption of sub-band gap light, and is especially bright in fractures. Regions which exhibit fast PL are strongly absorptive well below the band gap, as evidenced by a propensity to damage with 3.5eV ns-scale laser pulses, making CTP a powerful non-destructive diagnostic for laser damage in silica. The use of CTP to provide insights into the nature of damage precursors and to help develop and evaluate new damage mitigation strategies will be presented.
- Research Organization:
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Livermore, CA
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-7405-ENG-48
- OSTI ID:
- 970165
- Report Number(s):
- LLNL-PROC-420432
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Laser Damage Precursors in Fused Silica
Fracture Induced Sub-Band Absorption as a Precursor to Optical Damage on Fused Silica Surfaces