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Quartz and Glasses
Chapter 9
9. Quartz and Glasses
Laurent Lamaignère
9.1 Introduction
Damage may occur either in the bulk or at the surface of an optical component due to
intrinsic or extrinsic factors. Intrinsic processes include linear absorption, color-center
formation, and nonlinear process such as self-focusing, multiphoton absorption, and elec-
tron avalanche breakdown. But undoubtedly the weakest parts in a laser system are the
surfaces of the optical components. Surfaces have a lower damage threshold than the bulk.
Laser-Induced Damage in Optical Materials. Edited by Detlev Ristau © 2015 CRC Press/Taylor & Francis
Group, LLC. ISBN: 978- ...