Formation mechanism of a smooth, defectfree surface of fused silica optics using rapid CO2 laser polishing

Surface defects introduced by conventional mechanical processing methods can induce irreversible damage and reduce the service life of optics applied in high-power lasers.Compared to mechanical processing,laser polishing with moving beam spot is a noncontact processing method,which is able to form a defect-free surface.This work aims to explore the mechanism of forming a smooth,defect-free fused silica surface by high-power density laser polishing with coupled multiple beams.The underlying mechanisms of laser polishing was revealed by numerical simulations and the theoretical results were verified by experiments.The simulated polishing depth and machined surface morphology were in close agreement with the experimental results.To obtain the optimized polishing quality,the effects of laser polishing parameters(e.g.overlap rate,pulse width and polishing times)on the polishing quality were experimentally investigated.It was found that the processing efficiency of fused silica materials by carbon dioxide(CO2)laser polishing could reach 8.68 mm2 s−1,and the surface roughness(Ra)was better than 25 nm.Besides,the cracks on pristine fused silica surfaces introduced by initial grinding process were completely removed by laser polishing to achieve a defect-free surface.The maximum laser polishing rate can reach 3.88μm s−1,much higher than that of the traditional mechanical polishing methods.The rapid CO2 laser polishing can effectively achieve smooth,defect-free surface,which is of great significance to improve the surface quality of fused silica optics applied in high-power laser facilities.

Potential damage threats to downstream optics caused by Gaussian mitigation pits on rear KDP surface

To determine whether a potassium dihydrogen phosphate(KDP)surface mitigated by micro-milling would potentially threaten downstream optics,we calculated the light-field modulation based on angular spectrum diffraction theory,and performed a laser damage test on downstream fused silica.The results showed that the downstream light intensification caused by a Gaussian mitigation pit of 800μm width and 10μm depth reached a peak value near the KDP rear surface,decreased sharply afterward,and eventually kept stable with the increase in downstream distance.The solved peak value of light intensification exceeded 6 in a range 8–19 mm downstream from the KDP rear surface,which is the most dangerous for downstream optics.Laser damage sites were then induced on the fused silica surface in subsequent laser damage tests.When the distance downstream was greater than 44 mm with a downstream light intensification of less than 3,there were no potential damage threats to downstream optics.The study proves that a mitigated KDP surface can cause laser damage to downstream optical components,to which attention should be paid in an actual application.Through this work,we find that the current manufacturing process and the mitigation index still need to be improved.The research methods and calculation models are also of great reference significance for related studies like optics mitigation and laser damage.

Combined studies of surface evolution and crack healing for the suppression of negative factors during CO_(2) laser repairing of fused silica

In order to reveal the evolution mechanism of repaired morphology and the material's migration mechanism on the crack surface in the process of CO_(2) laser repairing surface damage of fused silica optics, two multi-physics coupling mathematical models with different scales are developed, respectively. The physical problems, such as heat and mass transfer,material phase transition, melt flow, evaporation removal, and crack healing, are analyzed. Studies show that material ablation and the gasification recoil pressure accompanying the material splash are the leading factors in forming the Gaussian crater with a raised rim feature. The use of low-power lasers for a long time can fully melt the material around the crack before healing, which can greatly reduce the size of the residual air layer. Combined with the experimental research, the methods to suppress the negative factors(e.g., raised rim, deposited debris, air bubbles) in the CO_(2) laser repairing process are proposed.