We present a model to describe the mechanism of laser induced electronic damage in optical coatings. Different from the classical laser damage models, the electron tunneling effect is taken into account in our model. The diffusion of free electron in the conduction band is enhanced if free electron tunnel effect happens in the optical coatings. Under some specific circumstance, the electron tunneling effect will make a great impact on the laser induced damage properties of the optical coatings. Under radiation of different duration and different power intensity lasers, the influence of free electron tunnel to the laser induced damage threshold is also different. Based on the calculation results, the tunnel effect can influence the laser induced damage properties of optical coating system at nanosecond and picosecond regime. In the femtosecond regime, the influence of the tunnel effect can be neglected.

Date Published: 28 October 2016
PDF: 7 pages
Proc. SPIE 9683, 8th International Symposium on Advanced Optical Manufacturing and Testing Technologies: Advanced Optical Manufacturing Technologies, 968322 (28 October 2016); doi: 10.1117/12.2244001

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 9683:
8th International Symposium on Advanced Optical Manufacturing and Testing Technologies: Advanced Optical Manufacturing Technologies
Wenhan Jiang; Li Yang; Oltmann Riemer; Shengyi Li; Yongjian Wan, Editor(s)