Fabricating fused silica optics with a high laser-induced damage threshold

https://phys.org/news/2023-09-fabricating-fused-silica-optics-high.html

"damage-resistant fused silica optics for high-energy laser applications, higher LIDTs... Residual processing defects significantly reduce the LIDT of fused silica optics, which seriously limits their performance and lifetime in high-energy laser applications. Conventional processing methods have focused on effectively managing subsurface mechanical damage (SSD) during grinding, but this is not always successful... CO2 laser ablate optic's surface layer-by-layer for SSD and surface/subsurface contamination removal"