Antireflective laser coating with improved mechanical property and organic-contaminant resistance for high-power laser application.

Mono-layer silica-based antireflective laser coating with modulated structure has been designed and fabricated, in which cross-linking network structure of polysiloxane was prepared as backbone and porous silica spheres (PSSs) were inserted to create interior porosity. Cured polysiloxane provided dense structure that could both prevent the invasion of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and improve the mechanical property of this coating, while PSSs endowed this coating with proper porosity to adjust its refractive index and relax the high-power laser energy. With certain structure modulation, excellent transmission and laser-damage resistance of this coating at 355 nm (for the application in high-power laser system) and 1064 nm (for the application in laser-guided component) was both achieved. Meanwhile, the hardness of this coating increased significantly compared with that of the conventional porous silica coating. In addition, qualified VOCs endurance of this coating was also proved, which effectively extended the lifetime of such coating. [Display omitted] • Laser coating with novel structure was fabricated to overcome inherent drawbacks of conventional porous laser coating. • High transmission and LIDT, as well as improved hardness and organic-resistance of designed laser coating were achieved. • The designed coating is suitable for more occasions, providing a potential option to replace conventional laser coating. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]