Laser damage resistant anti-reflection microstructures for mid-infrared metal-ion doped ZnSe gain media

Douglas S. Hobbs; Bruce D. MacLeod; Ernest Sabatino III; Sergey B. Mirov; Dmitri V Martyshkin

doi:10.1117/12.2016402

4 December 2012 Laser damage resistant anti-reflection microstructures for mid-infrared metal-ion doped ZnSe gain media

Douglas S. Hobbs, Bruce D. MacLeod, Ernest Sabatino III, Sergey B. Mirov, Dmitri V Martyshkin

Proceedings Volume 8530, Laser-Induced Damage in Optical Materials: 2012; 85300P (2012) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2016402
Event: SPIE Laser Damage, 2012, Boulder, Colorado, United States

Abstract

Power scaling of mid-infrared laser systems based on chromium and iron doped zinc selenide (ZnSe) and zinc sulfide (ZnS) crystals is being advanced through the integration of surface relief anti-reflection microstructures (ARMs) etched directly in the facets of the laser gain media. In this study, a new ARMs texture fabrication process is demonstrated for polycrystalline ZnSe and ZnS material that results in a significant increase in pulsed laser damage resistance combined with an average reflection loss of less than 0.5% over the wavelength range of 1.9-3.0μm. The process was utilized to fabricate ARMs in chromium-doped zinc selenide (Cr₂₊:ZnSe) materials supplied by IPG Photonics and standardized pulsed laser induced damage threshold (LiDT) measurements at a wavelength of 2.09μm were made using the commercial testing services of Spica Technologies. It was found that the pulsed LiDT of ARMs etched in ZnSe and Cr²⁺:ZnSe can match or even exceed the level of a well-polished surface, a survivability that is many times higher than an equivalent performance broad-band thin-film AR coating. The results also indicate that the ARMs plasma etch process may find use as a post-polish damage mitigation technique similar to the chemical immersion used to double the damage resistance of fused silica optics. ARMs etched in Cr²⁺:ZnSe were also evaluated by IPG Photonics for survivability under continuous wave (CW) laser operation at a pump laser wavelength of 1.94μm. Catastrophic damage occurred between power levels of 400-500 kilowatt per square centimeter for both as polished and ARMs textured samples indicating no reduction in CW damage resistance attributable to surface effects.

Citation Download Citation

Douglas S. Hobbs, Bruce D. MacLeod, Ernest Sabatino III, Sergey B. Mirov, and Dmitri V Martyshkin "Laser damage resistant anti-reflection microstructures for mid-infrared metal-ion doped ZnSe gain media", Proc. SPIE 8530, Laser-Induced Damage in Optical Materials: 2012, 85300P (4 December 2012); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2016402

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