Current 3 {omega} large optic test procedures and data analysis for the quality assurance of National Ignition Facility

A reliable metric is required to describe the damage resistance of large aperture 3{omega} transmissive optics for the National Ignition Facility (NIF) laser. The trend from single site testing to the more statistically valid Gaussian scanning test requires a well modeled experimental procedure, accurate monitoring of the test parameters, and careful interpretation of the resulting volumes of data. The methods described here provide reliable quality assurance data, as well as intrinsic damage concentration information used to predict the performance expected under use conditions. This paper describes the equipment, test procedure, and data analysis used to evaluate large aperture 3{omega} optics for the NIF laser