Optics Characterization

The Optics / Short Wavelengths department of the LLG has more than 15 years of experience in the characterization of optical components, especially within the UV spectral range. One of the main goals of these activities is a deeper understanding of the interaction mechanisms of intense UV radiation with high quality optical materials, leading in the end to an optimization of fabrication and coating technologies.

Our high precision experimental setups are able to determine the overall optical losses under irradiation as well as single specific loss channels (e.g. surface/bulk absorption, nonlinear effects, scattering). Thus, the department represents a central test facility for manufacturers and users of UV laser optics for both basic investigations as well as routine measurements according to ISO standards.

Measurement of:

• Laser-induced damage threshold - LIDT (´1-on-1´, ´S-on-1´ ISO 11254)
• Absorption (laser calorimetry)
• Degradation
• thermal lenses
• Total integrated scatter