Influence of gas humidity on the reflection coefficient of multilayer dielectric mirrors.

The influence of water vapor on the reflection coefficient of multilayer mirrors was studied using a gas cell with multiple reflections from the mirrors. A strong change in the reflection coefficient of the mirrors (up to 0.9%) was found when water vapor under a pressure of 23 mbar was injected into the cell, which was interpreted as a change in the refraction index of the layers of multilayer coatings when water vapor penetrated into the porous coating structure.