Long-term aging of SiO<sub>2</sub>/HfO<sub>2</sub> PIAD-deposited Laser Mégajoule polarizer coatings
The 176 beams of the Laser Mégajoule (LMJ) are equipped with meter-scale polarizers that filter parasitic light generated before amplification. These multilayer dielectric coatings present instabilities over the years that can lead to a significant transmission loss. To evaluate the causes, HfO<sub>2</sub> and SiO<sub>2</sub> coatings were deposited by evaporation with and without plasma-assistance. Our studies show that a spectral redshift of the polarizers over the years is mainly generated by the SiO<sub>2</sub> layers. A correlation between aging and coatings' moisture sensitivity is evidenced and interpreted as a consequence of water diffusion and the hydrolysis of SiO<sub>2</sub>. Hydrothermal treatments successfully accelerated aging, offering a promising method to stabilize the coating before use.
Authors
- Julie Cornette
- Marcela Mireles (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3972-5570)
- Marine Chorel
- Amy L. Rigatti (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0007-9723-9905)
- Yann Launay (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4213-7916)
- C. Ducros
- Etienne Laborde (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2417-7519)
- Arthur Soutenain (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0002-3054-5194)
- Christelle Dublanche-Tixier
- Éric Lavastre
- M.J. Guy
- Maggy Colas
- Pierre Carlès
- Eloïse Yvernaud
Institutions
- Commissariat à l'Énergie Atomique et aux Énergies Alternatives (FR)
- Laboratoire d’Innovation pour les Technologies des Énergies Nouvelles et les nanomatériaux (FR)
- University of Rochester (US)
- Université de Limoges (FR)
- Université Grenoble Alpes (FR)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Optics Express
- Published
- 2025-09-09
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1364/oe.564390
- Citations
- 1
- Primary Topic
- Surface Roughness and Optical Measurements
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 1.33