Preparation and laser induced damage properties of rare earth doped BAS glass

Rare earth doped B₂O₃-Al₂O₃-SiO₂ glass (RE_xBAS, x=5, 10, 20; RE=La, Sm) were prepared by solid state reaction method. Optical transmission spectra of such glass were characterized by ultraviolet spectrometers, and 1064 nm laser induced damage performance was investigated through the method of "1-on-1". The results indicated that there was a strong absorptive peak near 1064 nm in Sm_xBAS glass, the peak was enhanced with increasing x. While La_xBAS glass was transparent to 1064 nm laser, at the same time, the results of laser induced damage showed that the anti-laser induced damage performance of such glass was strengthened with the addition of rare earth oxide. Furthermore, the laser induced damage threshold (LIDT) of Sm_xBAS glass was significantly higher than that of La_xBAS glass. Consequently, Sm³⁺ doping was favor in the improvement of anti-laser induced damage performance for BAS glass.