NATIONAL BUREAU OF STANDARDS The National Bureau of Standards' was established by an act of Congress March 3, 1901. The Bureau's overall goal is to strengthen and advance the Nation's science and technology and facilitate their effective application for public benefit. To this end, the Bureau conducts research and provides: (1) a basis for the Nation's physical measurement system, (2) scientific and technological services for industry and government, (3) a technical basis for equity in trade, and (4) technical services to promote public safety. The Bureau consists of the Institute for Basic Standards, the Institute for Materials Research, the Institute for Applied Technology, the Institute for Computer Sciences and Technology, the Office for Information Programs, and the Office of Experimental Technology Incentives Program. THE INSTITUTE FOR BASIC STANDARDS provides the central basis within the United States of a complete and consistent system of physical measurement; coordinates that system with measurement systems of other nations; and furnishes essential services leading to accurate and uniform physical measurements throughout the Nation's scientific community, industry, and commerce. The Institute consists of the Office of Measurement Services, and the following center and divisions: Applied Mathematics - Electricity - Mechanics - Heat - Optical Physics - Center for Radiation Research - Laboratory Astrophysics - Cryogenics - Electromagnetics - Time and Frequency. THE INSTITUTE FOR MATERIALS RESEARCH conducts materials research leading to improved methods of measurement, standards, and data on the properties of well-characterized materials needed by industry, commerce, educational institutions, and Government; provides advisory and research services to other Government agencies; and develops, produces, and distributes standard reference materials. The Institute consists of the Office of Standard Reference Materials, the Office of Air and Water Measurement, and the following divisions: Analytical Chemistry - Polymers - Metallurgy - Inorganic Materials - Reactor Radiation - Physical Chemistry. THE INSTITUTE FOR APPLIED TECHNOLOGY provides technical services developing and promoting the use of available technology; cooperates with public and private organizations in developing technological standards, codes, and test methods; and provides technical advice services, and information to Government agencies and the public. The Institute consists of the following divisions and centers: Standards Application and Analysis - Electronic Technology - Center for Consumer Product Technology: Product Systems Analysis; Product Engineering - Center for Building Technology: Structures, Materials, and Safety; Building Environment; Technical Evaluation and Application - Center for Fire Research: Fire Science; Fire Safety Engineering. THE INSTITUTE FOR COMPUTER SCIENCES AND TECHNOLOGY conducts research and provides technical services designed to aid Government agencies in improving cost effectiveness in the conduct of their programs through the selection, acquisition, and effective utilization of automatic data processing equipment; and serves as the principal focus wthin the executive branch for the development of Federal standards for automatic data processing equipment, techniques, and computer languages. The Institute consist of the following divisions: Computer Services - Systems and Software - Computer Systems Engineering - Information Technology. THE OFFICE OF EXPERIMENTAL TECHNOLOGY INCENTIVES PROGRAM seeks to affect public policy and process to facilitate technological change in the private sector by examining and experimenting with Government policies and practices in order to identify and remove Government-related barriers and to correct inherent market imperfections that impede the innovation process. THE OFFICE FOR INFORMATION PROGRAMS promotes optimum dissemination and accessibility of scientific information generated within NBS; promotes the development of the National Standard Reference Data System and a system of information analysis centers dealing with the broader aspects of the National Measurement System; provides appropriate services to ensure that the NBS staff has optimum accessibility to the scientific information of the world. The Office consists of the following organizational units: Office of Standard Reference Data - Office of Information Activities - Office of Technical Publications - Library Office of International Standards - Office of International Relations. 1 Headquarters and Laboratories at Gaithersburg, Maryland, unless otherwise noted; mailing address Washington, D.C. 20234. 2 Located at Boulder, Colorado 80302. U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE, Juanita M. Kreps, Secretary Dr. Sidney Harman, Under Secretary Jordan J. Baruch, Assistant Secretary for Science and Technology Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 78-600021 National Bureau of Standards Special Publication 509 Nat. Bur. Stand. (U.S.), Spec. Publ. 509, 561 pages (Dec. 1977) U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE WASHINGTON: 1978 For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C. 20434 (Add 25 percent additional for other than U.S. mailing). Foreword The Proceedings contain the papers presented at the 9th Annual Symposium on Optical Materials for High Power Lasers held at the National Bureau of Standards in Boulder, Colorado, on October 4-6, 1977. The Symposium was jointly sponsored by the National Bureau of Standards, the American Society for Testing and Materials, the Office of Naval Research, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, and the Energy Research and Development Administration. The Symposium was attended by about 185 scientists from the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Canada, South Africa, Australia and the Soviet Union. It was divided into sessions devoted to the following topics: Infrared window materials, mirrors and surfaces, thin films, and fundamental mechanisms. The Symposium Co-chairpersons were Dr. Alexander J. Glass of the Lawrence Livermore Laboratory and Dr. Arthur H. Guenther of the Air Force Weapons Laboratory, who also served as Editors of this report. The Editors assume full responsibility for the summary, conclusions, and recommendations contained in the report, and for the summaries of discussion found at the end of each paper. The manuscripts of the papers presented at the Symposium have been prepared by the designated authors, and questions pertaining to their content should be addressed to those authors. The interested reader is referred to the bibliography at the end of the summary article for general references to the literature of laser damage studies. The 10th Annual Symposium on this topic will be held in Boulder, Colorado, from September 12 to 14, 1978. It is anticipated that there will be more extensive foreign participation than in previous years. Also, a concerted effort has been made to ensure closer liaison between the practitioners of high peak power and the high average power community. The principal topics to be considered as contributed papers in 1978 do not differ drastically from those enumerated above. We expect to hear more about improved scaling relations as a function of pulse duration, area, and wavelength, and see a continuing transfer of information from research activities to industrial practice. New sources at shorter wavelengths continue to be developed, and a corresponding shift in emphasis to short wavelength damage problems is anticipated. Fabrication and test procedures will continue to advance, particularly in the micro-machined optics and thin film areas. At the 10th Annual Symposium we expect to pause and reflect upon the past 10 years' activities. It is our intent to have distinguished speakers who are acknowledged principal contributors in the many facets of the laser damage field. We will ask them to summarize and quantify as best as possible the state-of-the-art and the state-of-the-understanding in their specialty. These review or tutorial lectures will then be assembled and published as a separate volume on the subject of laser induced damage in optical materials. We are also contemplating having round-table discussions on those specific subjects in which there is still some question as to the correctness of our understanding. The purpose of these Symposia is to exchange information about optical materials for high power lasers. The Editors will welcome comment and criticism from all interested readers relevant to this purpose, and particularly relative to our plans for the 10th Annual Symposium. A. H. Guenther and A. J. Glass DISCLAIMER Certain commercial equipment, instruments, or materials are identified in this publication in order to adequately specify the experimental procedure. In no case does such identification imply recommendation or endorsement by the National Bureau of Standards, nor does it imply that the material or equipment identified is necessarily the best available for the purpose. This publication is a contribution of the National Bureau of Standards and is not subject to copyright. |