Subpicosecond pulse laser damage behavior of dielectric thin films prepared by different techniques

A new instrument dedicated to laser damage measurement in subpicosecond scale has been developed at the Fresnel Institute (3 ps to 100 fs, 1030 nm). The objective of this work is to realize a comparative study of the behavior of hafnia thin films prepared by different techniques (Reactive Low Voltage Ion Plating, Electron Beam Deposition, Dual Ion Beam Sputtering) under subpicosecond pulse irradiation in the near infra red. Laser-induced damage thresholds are measured for one-on-one procedures. Laser damage setup and first results at 1 ps are presented and initiation mechanisms are studied thanks to damage morphologies and optical properties characterization. Results show a dependence of damage threshold with deposition techniques and so with microstructure of the film.