The HiLASE Centre would like to invite you to participate in the annual LIDT Challenge. In this annual edition, we are going to test a sample of your mirror with a high reflective coating. As a reward, you will gain qualified knowledge of the respective damage threshold of your component.
Why should you take part?
The reliability of high-power lasers is largely determined by the optical components used in them. Therefore, knowledge of the quality of used optical components is essential for the safe and reliable operation of those laser systems.
How to participate & Conditions
Each participant provides HiLASE Centre’s LIDT laboratory sample accompanied by a witness sample of the mirror with a high reflective coating for a double-blind LIDT measurement. The samples will be tested on ISO-compliant LIDT station using state-of-the-art high energy, high repetition rate pulsed laser. Participating companies have an extraordinary opportunity to learn the real-life performance of their optical elements in cutting-edge laser systems.
A sample of the mirror with high reflective coating from each participant is requested to be sent no later than the 19th of April 2024 to the following address:
HiLASE Centre – LIDT Challenge
Institute of Physics of the Czech Academy of Sciences
Za Radnici 828
252 41 Dolni Brezany
Czech Republic
Please make sure that your sample is properly packed and identified, to prevent any transport interference or confusion with other samples. Also, please make sure that every sample you send is accompanied by its identical duplicate, which can be used as a control sample if needed. Please mark your package clearly with the note “LIDT Challenge” to prevent any confusion with other shipments we are receiving.
Samples and testing
A sample of the mirror with high reflective coating from each participant needs to be collected until April 19, 2024. The requested diameter of the samples is 2” or 50 mm. The minimum required thickness of the samples is no less than 3 mm. The designed angle of incidence shall be 0° and designed reflectance shall be no less than 99% for p-polarization. The central wavelength of the coating shall be 257 nm and all samples are required to have clearly marked coated side. Anonymized samples will be tested by the s-on-1 method according to the ISO 21254-2:2011 standard with up to 106 (one million) pulses. The testing laser will provide 1-ps pulses with a 1 kHz repetition rate in the round, Gaussian beam. The beam will be single-longitudinal mode, p-polarized and the test will be conducted at ambient pressure, 22°C temperature and 30% relative humidity. The testing spot size will be 0.5 mm in the plane of incidence with a maximum fluence of 1 J∙cm-2.
What will happen next?
Anonymized results will be presented during the Laser Innovative Technologies Days held in Dolni Brezany on 5th – 6th June 2024 in cooperation with the Czech Optical Cluster. The winner will receive a certificate with test parameters and the winning LIDT value together with the HiLASE LIDT Challenge prize.
Why use testing at the HiLASE Centre?
For testing, we will use our high-energy, high repetition rate laser system PERLA to introduce large-spot test in combination with long-term exposure and our ISO-certified LIDT station.
Schedule
- Samples collection – 1st March – 19th April 2024
- LIDT testing – 29th April – 24th May 2024
- Announcement of the winner – 5th June 2024
To register, please get in touch with us at lidt@hilase.cz and solutions@hilase.cz
The LIDT Challenge is supported by EVIDENT Europe GmbH (previously Olympus Scientific Solutions, OLYMPUS CZECH GROUP, S.R.O.)
