Development of a Robust Laser Damage Threshold Testbed

It is crucial in the laser optics industry to have reliable Laser Induced Damage Threshold(LIDT) testing to ensure quality optics that laser users can rely on, especially for high power or fluence laser experiments. In-house testing not only provides the QA/QC utility but also the necessary feedback loop to improve and develop quality laser optics. We present the development of a robust LIDT testbed at Edmund Optics with enough adjustability to accommodate testing according to the ISO Standards 21254 -1,-2,-3 and -4, in addition to applying new parameters and protocols for LIDT testing such as those being developed by the Optics and Electro-Optics Standards Council Task Force 7 (OEOSC-TF7). Difficulties in developing such a complex system(safety, automation, damage detection, etc.) will be presented as well as test results produced by the system to-date.