Influence of antireflection Si coatings on the damage threshold of fused silica upon irradiation with mid-IR femtosecond laser pulses

Abstract

Recent progress in the development of high-power mid-IR laser sources and the exciting laser driven physical phenomena associated with the irradiation of solids via ultrashort laser pulses in that spectral region are aimed to potentially create novel capabilities for material processing. In particular, the investigation of the underlying physical processes and the evaluation of the optical breakdown threshold (OBT) following irradiation of bulk dielectric materials with mid-IR femtosecond (fs) pulses have been recently presented. In this Letter, we will explore the conditions that generate sufficient carrier excitation levels which lead to damage upon irradiation of a dielectric material (SiO2) coated with antireflection (AR) semiconducting films (Si) of variable thickness with fs pulses. Simulation results demonstrate that the reflectivity and transmissivity of the Si/SiO2 are thickness dependent which can be employed to modulate the damage threshold of the substrate. The study is to provide innovative routes for selecting material sizes that can be used for antireflection coatings and applications in the mid-IR region.