Large-area defect mapping for laser damage prediction

The laser damage performance of optical components is often limited by the presence of sparse defects rather than intrinsic material properties. In this regime, it is costly to perform destructive laser damage testing over areas large enough to make high-confidence statements of damage likelihood in non-tested parts or regions. Instead, one may record non-destructively the sizes and locations of all defects over a much larger area. It is also straightforward to do selective laser damage testing centered on defects (and defect-free sites) in a subregion. This latter measurement will yield a table that quantifies damage probability as a function of fluence and defect size. Combining the complete defect map and the damage probability table allows laser damage prediction at every location over the whole area of interest. In this paper large-area defect mapping of real-world coated optics is combined with previously established damage probability tables. The defect-driven contribution is shown to enhance the predictive power of the simulations as judged by standard damage testing.