Synthetic silica glass optical material having high resistance to laser induced damage

A synthetic silica glass optical material for use, and resistant to optical damage, in the wavelength region of less than 250 nm, the synthetic silica glass optical material consisting essentially of synthetic silica glass, H2, and OH, the synthetic silica glass optical material having a H2 concentration ranging between about 0.1 to 5.0×1017 molecules/cm3, wherein the synthetic silica glass optical material is loaded with H2 at a temperature of less than about 600° C., an OH concentration less than about 125 ppm, and exhibiting a laser induced wavefront distortion, measured at 633 nm, of between −1.0 to 1.0 nm/cm when subjected to 10 billion pulses of a laser operating at approximately 193 nm and at a fluence of approximately 70 μJ/cm2.

A synthetic silica glass optical material for use, and resistant to optical damage, in the wavelength region of less than 250 nm, the synthetic silica glass optical material consisting essentially of synthetic silica glass, H2, and OH, the synthetic silica glass optical material having a H2 concentration ranging between about 0.4 to 1.0×1017 molecules/cm3, wherein the synthetic silica glass optical material is loaded with H2 at a temperature of less than about 600° C., and an OH concentration less than about 600 ppm, and exhibiting a laser induced wavefront distortion, measured at 633 nm, of between about −1.0 and 1.0 nm/cm when subjected to 10 billion pulses of a laser operating at approximately 193 nm and at a fluence of approximately 70 μJ/cm2.

A synthetic silica glass optical material for use, and resistant to optical damage, in the wavelength region of less than 250 nm, the synthetic silica glass optical material consisting essentially of synthetic silica glass, H2, and OH, the synthetic silica glass optical material having a H2 concentration from 0.4 to 1.0×1017 molecules/cm3, wherein the synthetic silica glass optical material is loaded with H2 at a temperature of less than about 600° C., and an OH concentration from 100 to about 600 ppm, and exhibiting a laser induced wavefront distortion, measured at 633 nm, of between −1.0 and 1.0 nm/cm when subjected to 10 billion pulses of a laser operating at approximately 193 nm and at a fluence of approximately 70 μJ/cm2.

A synthetic silica glass optical material for use, and resistant to optical damage, in the wavelength region of less than 250 nm, the synthetic silica glass optical material consisting essentially of synthetic silica glass, H2, and OH, the synthetic glass optical material having a H2 concentration from 0.1 to 0.5×1017 molecules/cm3, wherein the synthetic silica glass optical material is loaded with H2 at a temperature of less than about 600° C., and an OH concentration from 100 to 125 ppm, and exhibiting a laser induced wavefront distortion, measured at 633 nm, of between about −1.0 and 1.0 nm/cm when subjected to 10 billion pulses of a laser at operating approximately 193 nm and at a fluence of approximately 70 μJ/cm2.