ABSTRACT
Optical coatings play a vital role in sensing technologies. The development of new coatings that exhibit minimal optical losses requires a detailed understanding of the development of defects within them. Current methods of defect characterization involve direct microscope imaging or x-ray diffraction studies in the case of crystallites. In this paper, we demonstrate the characterization of coating defects using light scattering, which can yield information about their size, location, and index of refraction. The method requires measuring the scattered power of each individual defect as a function of angle and comparing the data with theoretical models. Finally, we argue that this method can be used for the determination of the defect location within a multi-layer stack.
ABSTRACT
As the sensitivity of gravitational-wave detectors increases, new sources of noise appear. A potential source of noise may arise from charge accumulating on the mirrors of the experiment, the origin of which can be related to UV photons from the surroundings. In order to test one hypothesis, we measured the photon emission spectrum from a type of ion pump that is used in the experiment, an Agilent VacIon Plus 2500 l/s. We found that there is significant emission of UV photons above 5 eV, capable of knocking electrons off mirrors or surrounding surfaces and charging them. Photon emission measurements were taken as a function of gas pressure, ion-pump voltage setting, and type of pumped gas. The overall emission and shape of the measured photon spectrum are consistent with bremsstrahlung as the mechanism for the production of the photons.