Theory 011/Optics & Photonics

Laser Damage Counts Defects

The claim

Laser-induced damage threshold is set by absorbing defect density rather than by fluence alone, so two coatings of identical design can differ several-fold.

01The mechanism

Damage initiates at absorbers that heat locally; threshold falls as the density of such sites rises.

02Predictions

P1Threshold should scale inversely with defect density.
P2Identical designs should differ by coating process.

03Refutation

Threshold tracking fluence limits at controlled defect density would remove the defect term.