An Intrinsic Laser-Damage Mechanism in Next-Generation OMEGA UV Multilayer Coatings

Laser-induced damage has always been and remains as vexing as it is expensive. Despite a quarter century of work, the problem has not been eliminated or even fully defined-only the technical limits have been increased. Although dielectric thin films have improved over the last 25 years, they remain especially difficult subjects to deal with owing to the multiparameter nature of the nonequilibrium deposition methods used in their preparation. As new analytical methods and tools become available, however. better insight into the laser-damage enigma is gained.