SBS influence on laser damage of optical materials

The influence of the stimulated Brilloin scattering (SBS) on the damage of optical materials was experimentaly investigated. It is shown that depending on the experimental conditions, the SBS changes the threshold and the bulk damage character. It can decrease or increase the magnitude of the threshold power of the laser beam, which damages the surface of the optical systems. The SBS increases (the increase of more than 100 times has been registered), but not decreases the threshold power of the bulk damage, as it was thought earlier. It is shown, that the reason of the decrease of the bulk damage threshold and the changes of the damage thresholds of the surface of the optical system is a redistribution of the laser beam intensity caused by the SBS, which decreases the intensity in the focal region of lens. The influence of the laser beam redistribution on the damage thresholds and self-focusing is also discussed.