Nonlinear ultrashort-pulse damage of laser mirrors from the UV to the infrared

The damage threshold of femtosecond laser mirrors is critical in the construction of femtosecond laser systems. Therefore, we developed a uniform and efficient test method for femtosecond mirrors for the most relevant laser wavelengths of 266 nm, 400 nm, 800 nm and 1030 nm and tested various broadband metal and metal-dielectric hybrid mirrors. With this, damage threshold values as high as 1 J/cm² were observed for laser pulses with pulse lengths between 70 and 90 fs.