Fast optical limiting on volatilizable metallic mirror

•All-solid-state thin-film optical limiters with fast response were evaluated.•The limiting mechanism relies on light-induced evaporation of metallic mirrors.•Aluminum films on polycarbonate substrates outperform other material combinations.•Limiting of 1° ns@1.06 μm pulses starts at input fluences as low as 30 mJ/cm2•100-fold attenuation at the input fluence of 200 J/cm2 is achieved.

We report on the investigation into an optical limiter, utilizing ablation destruction of a thin-film metallic mirror affected by high-intensity laser irradiation with nanosecond pulse duration. Its limiting threshold and dynamic range showed up being dependent on both the type of a material used and the thickness of the metallic film, as well as the type of the substrate material. An aluminum film deposited onto a polycarbonate substrate with reflection coefficient of weak irradiation being 90% has a limiting threshold 30 mJ/cm2, whilst reflection coefficient drops down to 1% at pulse energy density 200 J/cm2, wavelength being 1.06 μm.