Energy Coupling Efficiency of Multi-Wavelength Laser Pulses to Damage Initiating Defects in DKDP Nonlinear Crystals

摘要

The bulk damage performance of potassium dihydrogen phosphate crystals under simultaneous exposure to 1064-, 532-, and 355-nm nanosecond-laser pulses is investigated in order to probe the laser-induced defect reactions leading to damage initiation during frequency conversion. The results provide insight into the mechanisms governing the behavior of the damage initiating defects under exposure to high power laser light. In addition, it is suggested that the damage performance can be directly related to and predicted from the damage behavior of the crystal at each wavelength separately.