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Impurities removal by laser blow-off from in-vacuum optical surfaces on RFX-mod experiment.

A Alfier1, S Barison, A Fassina

  • 1Consorzio RFX, Associazione EURATOM-ENEA sulla Fusione, Corso Stati Uniti 4, 35127 Padova, Italy. alberto.alfier@gmail.com

The Review of Scientific Instruments
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Summary

A novel laser blow-off system cleans plasma-exposed vacuum windows and mirrors using optical fibers. This in situ method efficiently restores transmission and reflectivity by ablating impurities above a specific energy threshold.

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Area of Science:

  • Plasma physics
  • Materials science
  • Laser technology

Background:

  • Vacuum windows and mirrors in fusion experiments like RFX-mod accumulate plasma-deposited impurities.
  • Reduced optical transmission and reflectivity hinder diagnostic capabilities.
  • Existing cleaning methods can be inefficient or damaging.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To develop and validate an in situ laser blow-off system for cleaning optical components.
  • To determine optimal laser parameters for impurity ablation without damaging sensitive surfaces.
  • To assess the system's effectiveness on vacuum windows and mirrors used in fusion diagnostics.

Main Methods:

  • A Q-switched Nd:YAG laser coupled to a high-damage threshold optical fiber was employed.
  • The laser beam was focused onto impurity-coated surfaces of vacuum windows and mirrors.
  • An xy motion system enabled remote scanning of the entire surface.
  • Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (SIMS) analyzed surface composition before and after cleaning.

Main Results:

  • A single laser pulse above the determined energy threshold recovered ~95% of window transmission.
  • An energy threshold was identified for efficient impurity removal from SiO-protected Al mirrors without damage.
  • Cleaning tests on RFX-mod's Thomson scattering diagnostic windows and Z(eff) diagnostic mirror were successful.

Conclusions:

  • In situ laser blow-off is an effective technique for cleaning plasma-exposed optical components.
  • The developed system can restore diagnostic functionality by removing impurities.
  • This method offers a precise and non-damaging solution for maintaining optical integrity in fusion research.