RESUMEN
We report on manufacturing and testing results of high efficiency mixed metal dielectric gratings (MMLD) for high power pulse compression applications. The gratings with 1780 l/mm are etched in the top low index layer of a Au-(SiO2/HfO2)4-SiO2 mirror stack. Various grating profiles manufactured in order to modify the near electric field distribution are damage tested on a facility operating at 1.053 µm, 500 fs pulse duration. We evidence that damage threshold is governed by the value of the maximum electric field intensity inside the grating pillar. Moreover thresholds close to 3 J/cm2 beam normal are obtained with this new MMLD grating being thus an interesting alternative to gold and pure dielectric gratings for pulse compression applications.
RESUMEN
We report an experimental investigation of high reflection mirrors used to fabricate gratings for pulse compression application at the wavelength of 1.053microm. Two kinds of mirrors are studied: the mixed Metal MultiLayer Dielectric (MMLD) mirrors which combine a gold metal layer with some e-beam evaporated dielectric bilayers on the top and the standard e-beam evaporated MultiLayer Dielectric (MLD) mirrors. Various samples were manufactured, damage tested at a pulse duration of 500fs. Damage sites were subsequently observed by means of Nomarski microscopy and white light interferometer microscopy. The comparison of the results evidences that if MMLD design can offer damage performances rather similar to MLD design, it also exhibits lower stresses; being thus an optimal mirror substrate for a pulse compression grating operating under vacuum.