This effort evaluates laser processing for one of the more simplistic laser functionalities, utilizing the absorption of the laser for surface heating, and relying on the surface tension of the material as a function of temperature to leave a polished surface. The laser polishing is investigated across different materials: oxide optical glass, non-oxide chalcogenide optical glass, and optical polymer. A continuous wave visible wavelength laser is used for the chalcogenide glass, while a pulsed 10.6µm laser is used for the oxide glass and the optical polymer. The laser polishing results are compared to a hot forced-air local surface heating technique and traditional polishing methods.
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