Experimental Study on Laser-Induced Damage Performance of CO₂ Laser-Polished Fused Silica Components

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Optical Engineering
• Laser Technology

Background:

• Fused silica components are critical for large-scale laser systems.
• Traditional manufacturing methods create defects, limiting laser-induced damage resistance (LIDR).

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate CO2 laser polishing as a defect-free method for enhancing fused silica LIDR.
• To optimize laser polishing parameters for superior damage performance.

Main Methods:

• Utilized CO2 laser polishing on ground fused silica samples.
• Analyzed the impact of pre-treatment and laser parameters on damage performance.
• Compared laser polishing with conventional polishing and etching.

Main Results:

• Optimized laser polishing scheme achieved superior damage performance.
• Laser-polished samples showed a ~20% increase in damage threshold.
• Damage density was reduced by 76.4%–90.8% compared to conventional methods.

Conclusions:

• CO2 laser polishing effectively enhances fused silica LIDR by minimizing surface defects.
• This technique provides a significant improvement over conventional optical manufacturing.
• Offers technical support for advanced optical manufacturing technologies.