The long-term performance of high-power laser systems is adversely affected by particle contaminants that are introduced into the system during the manufacturing of optical components and the handling during installation and operation of the laser system. Such particles can absorb or focus laser energy, reducing the laser-induced–damage threshold (LIDT) values. We developed ultrathin coatings that can decrease the overall load of contamination and aid with the removal of the already-accumulated particles using simple gas-flow cleaning. These coatings do not alter the intrinsic LIDT values, and they remain stable over time and during the system operation.
Silica substrates coated with organic thin films were exposed to stainless steel and silica micro-particles to determine the effectiveness in preventing particle contamination and cleaning efficiency by air flows. Three specially designed monolayers coatings were developed and tested. Laser induced damage tests were conducted to confirm that the coatings do not affect the LIDT values. The results suggest that although the accumulation of particles is not significantly affected, the coated substrates exhibit significantly improved cleaning efficiency with air flow. A size distribution analysis was conducted to study the adsorption and cleaning efficiency of particles of different sizes.
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