Successful commerce of science and technology requires standardization of measurement. Today more than ever, there is a need for a new Optical Laser Damage standard to increase the efficiency of commerce in the optical industry. The current Laser-Induced Damage Threshold Standard, ISO 21254, can produce ambiguous results due to beam size and sampling area. To address the challenges to efficient commerce from ISO 21254, OEOSC Task Force 7 (TF7) is developing a new U.S. laser damage standard. By providing a clear, unambiguous pass/fail result, the new U.S. Laser Damage Standard will benefit the optical manufacturing industry and customers who use optics susceptible to laser damage in their applications. This presentation will discuss the shortcomings of ISO 21254, introduce the new approach to LIDT testing, and conclude with a discussion of the path forward in developing the U.S. laser damage standard.

About Our Presenter:

Dr. Matthew Dabney is a Principal Laser Engineer at Edmund Optics. He has over 30 years of experience researching how lasers interact with materials. He also fabricated and qualified most of the optics on the Hubble Telescope. Matthew joined Edmund Optics in 2019 and has established a laser lab to research the laser damage threshold (LDT) of various materials. He has published over 30 scientific papers on topics ranging from pulsed laser deposition of novel transparent conducting oxides, laser nucleation and growth of silicon, the safe use of Class 4 lasers in industrial settings, and developing a robust LDT testbed. Matthew holds a master’s and PhD degree in materials science from Colorado School of Mines.

Edmund Optics® has been a leading global optical solutions provider that has served a variety of markets including Life Sciences, Biomedical, Industrial Inspection, Semiconductor, R&D, and Defense since 1942. The company employs 1,250+ employees across 18 global locations and continues to expand.		Optics Valley, a committee of the Arizona Technology Council, is one of the leading clusters for optics, photonics and astronomy in the world. Optics Valley’s mission is to catalyze, convene and connect optics, photonics, astronomy and the supporting business interests throughout Arizona.