Localized CO2 laser treatment and post-heating process to reduce the growth coef f icient of fused silica surface damage

The lifetime of optical components in high-fluence ultraviolet (UV) laser applications is typically limited by laser-initiated damage and its subsequent growth. Using 10.6-μ m CO 2 laser pulses, we successfully mitigate 355-nm laser induced damage sites on fused silica surface with dimensions less than 200 μ m. The damage threshold increases and the damage growth mitigates. However, the growth coefficients of new damage on the CO 2 laser processed area are higher than those of the original sample. The damage grows with crack propagation for residual stress after CO 2 laser irradiation. Furthermore, post-heating is beneficial to the release of residual stress and slows down the damage growth.