Limiting laser-induced damage in a high-repetition rate CO2 laser chain

Francois J. Prinsloo; Stephanus P. van Heerden; Lourens R. Botha; Einar Ronander; Chris J. Herselman; R. Wellman

doi:10.1117/12.213729

14 July 1995 Limiting laser-induced damage in a high-repetition rate CO₂ laser chain

Francois J. Prinsloo, Stephanus P. van Heerden, Lourens R. Botha, Einar Ronander, Chris J. Herselman, R. Wellman

Proceedings Volume 2428, Laser-Induced Damage in Optical Materials: 1994; (1995) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.213729
Event: Laser-Induced Damage in Optical Materials: 1994, 1994, Boulder, CO, United States

Abstract

A CO₂ master oscillator power amplifier (MOPA) laser chain has been developed capable of producing approximately 2J per pulse at 2kHz. This leads to a unique combination of high peak and average power in a single laser system. As the laser is to be used in a process where it must be capable of prolonged periods of operation, a method had to be devised to allow constant monitoring of the beam profile and behavior of the optical components to ensure that the laser induced damage thresholds (LIDT) of the optical components are not exceeded. A photoacoustic detector (PAD), that allows determination of damage to optical components, and a M², or beam quality detector for accurate calculation of beam profiles in the CO₂ laser chain have been developed. The results obtained with these detectors will be discussed.

Citation Download Citation

Francois J. Prinsloo, Stephanus P. van Heerden, Lourens R. Botha, Einar Ronander, Chris J. Herselman, and R. Wellman "Limiting laser-induced damage in a high-repetition rate CO₂ laser chain", Proc. SPIE 2428, Laser-Induced Damage in Optical Materials: 1994, (14 July 1995); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.213729

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