Methods and apparatus for laser damage and functional performance characterization of ultrafast laser optics

The design principles of a 20-fs, near-infrared laser-induced–damage testing system are presented. In addition to typical damage-initiation threshold tests such as S-on-1 and raster scan, this system is capable of studying other performance-relevant metrics, such as damage growth and functional thresholds. Experimental results for a hybrid mirror sample are presented as a demonstration.