A new method for increasing the laser damage threshold of metal mirrors

in order to increase the damage threshold of metal mirrors we propose to cr eate a special structure on the surface of the mirrors ("photonic surface") . This structure must have the period about lambda/2 and will suppress prop agation of surface plasmons with the frequency omega(0)=2 pi c/lambda along the surface. This structure will also slightly increase the heat removal f rom the mirror's surface by the excitation of the thermostimulated plasmon emission from the surface. Thr heat removal from the surface is estimated a nd possible implementation of this approach For use with CO2-lasers (lambda =10.6 mu m) and Nd-YAG-lasers (lambda=1.06 mu m) is analyzed. (C) 2000 Else vier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.