Method and system for confined laser drilling

A system for determining a breakthrough in confined laser drilling of one or more holes in a near wall of a component, the system comprising:

• a confined laser drill utilizing a confined laser beam, the confined laser drill configured to drill one or more holes in the near wall of the component, the near wall positioned adjacent to a cavity defined by the component;
• a backstrike protection mechanism configured to protect a far wall of the component, the far wall positioned opposite the cavity from the near wall;
• and
• a sensor positioned outside the cavity and directed into the cavity for sensing a characteristic of light within the cavity, the system configured to determine a breakthrough of the confined laser drill through the near wall of the component based on the characteristic of the light sensed within the cavity of the component.