Multilayer dielectric gratings (MLDGs) are crucial for pulse compression in picosecond–petawatt laser systems. Bulged nodular defects, embedded in coating stacks during multilayer deposition, influence the lithographic process and performance of the final MLDG products. In this study, the integration of nanosecond laser conditioning (NLC) into different manufacturing stages of MLDGs was proposed for the first time on multilayer dielectric films (MLDFs) and final grating products to improve laser-induced damage performance. The results suggest that the remaining nodular ejection pits introduced by the two protocols exhibit a high nanosecond laser damage resistance, which remains stable when the irradiated laser fluence is more than twice the nanosecond-laser-induced damage threshold (nanosecond-LIDT) of the unconditioned MLDGs. Furthermore, the picosecond-LIDT of the nodular ejection pit conditioned on the MLDFs was approximately 40% higher than that of the nodular defects, and the loss of the grating structure surrounding the nodular defects was avoided. Therefore, NLC is an effective strategy for improving the laser damage resistance of MLDGs.

KDP类晶体是唯一可以满足ICF激光驱动装置通光口径的非线性光学晶体材料。该类晶体采用水溶液生长法生长，易于产生宏观包裹体和微观晶格缺陷，在高功率激光辐照下晶体内部易产生高密度pinpoint损伤现象，这与其他方法生长的晶体只是受限于光学加工的表面损伤问题相比具有明显不同。KDP类晶体内部的缺陷或前驱体诱导激光损伤与晶体切向、激光波长及偏振方向等密切相关，使得应用于ICF激光驱动器中不同光学功能的、来源于同一晶坯的不同晶体元件也表现出损伤性能的差异性，因此其损伤机理非常复杂，迫切需要认识该类晶体的激光损伤机理问题。回顾了上海光学精密机械研究所联合福建物质结构研究所、山东大学等晶体研制单位联合开展的关于KDP类晶体激光诱导损伤特性的研究工作，进行了用于光开关、倍频以及混频等功能的KDP和不同氘含量DKDP晶体的激光损伤研究，指导了晶体生长工艺优化和过程关键因素控制，并对仍存在的问题及解决方案进行了展望，对于高性能KDP类晶体的研制以及在高功率激光系统中的合理应用具有参考价值。

Multilayer dielectric gratings typically remove multiple-grating pillars after picosecond laser irradiation; however, the dynamic formation process of the removal is still unclear. In this study, the damage morphologies of multilayer dielectric gratings induced by an 8.6-ps laser pulse were closely examined. The damage included the removal of a single grating pillar and consecutive adjacent grating pillars and did not involve the destruction of the internal high-reflection mirror structure. Comparative analysis of the two damage morphological characteristics indicated the removal of adjacent pillars was related to an impact process caused by the eruption of localized materials from the left-hand pillar, exerting impact pressure on its adjacent pillars and eventually resulting in multiple pillar removal. A finite-element strain model was used to calculate the stress distribution of the grating after impact. According to the electric field distribution, the eruptive pressure of the dielectric materials after ionization was also simulated. The results suggest that the eruptive pressure resulted in a stress concentration at the root of the adjacent pillar that was sufficient to cause damage, corresponding to the experimental removal of the adjacent pillar from the root. This study provides further understanding of the laser-induced damage behavior of grating pillars and some insights into reducing the undesirable damage process for practical applications.

1T-polytype tantalum disulfide (1T-TaS2), an emerging strongly correlated material, features a narrow bandgap of 0.2 eV, bridging the gap between zero-bandgap graphene and large-bandgap 2D nonlinear optical (NLO) materials. Combined with its intense light absorption, high carrier concentration, and high mobility, 1T-TaS2 shows considerable potential for applications in broadband optoelectronic devices. However, its NLO characteristics and related applications have rarely been explored. Here, 1T-TaS2 nanosheets are prepared by chemical vapor deposition. The ultrafast carrier dynamics in the 400–1100 nm range and broadband NLO performance in the 515–2500 nm range are systematically studied using femtosecond lasers. An obvious saturable absorption phenomenon is observed in the visible to IR range. The nonlinear absorption coefficient is measured to be -22.60±0.52cmMW-1 under 1030 nm, which is larger than that of other typical 2D saturable absorber (SA) materials (graphene, black phosphorus, and MoS2) under similar experimental conditions. Based on these findings, using 1T-TaS2 as a new SA, passively Q-switched laser operations are successfully performed at 1.06, 1.34, and 1.94 μm. The results highlight the promise of 1T-TaS2 for broadband optical modulators and provide a potential candidate material system for mid-IR nonlinear optical applications.

光学元件是各类激光系统不可或缺的光学功能实现部件，其性能决定了激光系统的输出能力和光束质量。光学元件的激光损伤问题从激光发明起就一直伴随着激光技术的发展，随着激光新技术的发展和激光新应用的牵引，激光的波段、脉冲宽度以及重复频率等参数不断拓宽，使得激光损伤问题更加复杂，但万变不离其宗，激光损伤问题的核心是光学元件或光学材料对激光的吸收机制问题。从激光与光学材料相互作用的基本原理出发，以惯性约束聚变（ICF）激光驱动器应用的典型光学材料和光学元件为研究对象，回顾了针对光学元件的激光损伤问题开展的科研工作，总结了在此期间形成的关键技术和里程碑进展，同时也对依然困扰该领域的几类光学元件存在的问题瓶颈以及进一步研究发展趋势进行了展望。

Different laminated structures of TiO2/SiO2 composite film were prepared via atomic layer deposition (ALD) on alumina substrates. The effect of the annealing temperature in the air on the surface morphologies, crystal structures, binding energies, and ingredient content of these films was investigated using X-ray diffraction, field emission scanning electron microscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Results showed that the binding energy of Ti and Si increased with decrease of the Ti content, and the TiO2/SiO2 nanolaminated films exhibited a complex bonding structure. As the annealing temperature increased, the thickness of the nanolaminated films decreased, and the density and surface roughness increased. An increase in the crystallization temperature was proportional to the SiO2 content in TiO2/SiO2 composite film. The annealing temperature and thin thickness strongly affected the phase structure of the ALD TiO2 thin film. To be specific, the TiO2 thin film transformed into an anatase phase from an amorphous phase after an increase in the annealing temperature from 400°C to 550°C, and the TiO2 film exhibited an anatase phase until the annealing temperature reached 850°C, owing to its extremely small thickness. The annealing process caused the Al ions in the substrate to diffuse into the films and bond with O.

In this study, a high-energy, temporally shaped picosecond ultraviolet (UV) laser running at 100 Hz is demonstrated, with its pulses boosted to 120 mJ by cascaded regenerative and double-pass amplifiers, resulting in a gain of more than 10⁸. With precise manipulation and optimization, the amplified laser pulses were flat-top in the temporal and spatial domains to maintain high filling factors, which significantly improved the conversion efficiency of the subsequent third harmonic generation (THG). Finally, 91 mJ, 470 ps pulses were obtained at 355 nm, corresponding to a conversion efficiency as high as 76%, which, as far as we are aware of, is the highest THG efficiency for a high-repetition-rate picosecond laser. In addition, the energy stability of the UV laser is better than 1.07% (root mean square), which makes this laser an attractive source for a variety of fields including laser conditioning and micro-fabrication.