Method and system for high power reflective optical elements

1. A method of operating a system including an optical element, the method comprising:

providing a laser system including the one optical element, wherein the optical element has an incident light surface adjacent an incident light surface region;

exposing the incident light surface to high energy particles or electromagnetic radiation;

sustaining damage to at least a portion of the incident light surface region;

raising a temperature of at least the damaged portion of the incident light surface region in response to the high energy particles or electromagnetic radiation;

melting at least the damaged portion of the incident light surface in response to the high energy particles or electromagnetic radiation;

forming a melt region; and

solidifying the melt region.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the incident light surface comprises a metal material.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the metal material comprises a metal alloy.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the metal alloy comprises a gallium alloy.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein raising a temperature of at least the damaged portion comprises exposing the incident light surface to one or more laser pulses.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein raising a temperature of at least the damaged portion comprises exposing the incident light surface to additional electromagnetic radiation.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the melt portion comprises the damaged portion and a region surrounding the damaged portion.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the high energy particles or electromagnetic radiation comprise at least one of neutrons, x-ray photons, or a laser pulse.

9. A method of repairing damage in an optical element, the method comprising:

providing a laser system including at least one optical element having a coating layer having an incident light surface;

directing a laser pulse from the laser system to impinge on the incident light surface;

sustaining damage to a portion of the incident light surface in response to the laser pulse;

melting the damaged portion of the incident light surface and a region adjacent to the damaged portion in response to the laser pulse;

flowing material from the region adjacent the damaged portion to the damaged portion; and

solidifying the material in the damaged portion and the region adjacent to the damaged portion.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the coating layer comprises a metal material.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the metal material comprises a gallium alloy.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein sustaining damage to the incident light surface comprises removing a portion of the coating layer.

13. A method of repairing a reflective optical element having an incident light surface and an incident light surface region adjacent the incident light surface, the method comprising:

providing the reflective optical element, wherein the reflective optical element comprises a reflective material and a damaged portion of the incident light surface region;

directing a laser pulse to impinge on the incident light surface;

depositing excess energy from the laser pulse during a damage event;

forming a damaged portion of the incident light surface region in response to the damage event;

melting at least the damaged portion of the incident light surface region in response to the damage event; and

solidifying at least a portion of the incident light surface region.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising adding additional reflective material to the incident light surface, wherein solidifying a portion of the incident light surface region includes solidifying the additional reflective material.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein adding additional reflective material comprises spraying the additional reflective material onto the incident light surface of the reflective optical element.

16. The method of claim 13 wherein the reflective optical element further comprises a substrate adjacent the incident light surface region, the method further comprising:

melting at least a portion of the substrate; and

solidifying the at least a portion of the substrate.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising adding additional substrate material to the substrate.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein adding additional substrate material comprises spraying the additional substrate material onto the substrate.

19. The method of claim 16 wherein melting at least a portion of the substrate comprises depositing excess energy during a damage event in the substrate sufficient to convert at least the portion of the substrate into a liquid phase.

20. The method of claim 16 wherein a melting point of the incident light surface region is lower than a melting point of the substrate.

21. The method of claim 13 wherein the reflective material comprises a metal material.

22. The method of claim 13 wherein melting at least the damaged portion of the incident light surface region comprises melting the entirety of the incident light surface region.

23. The method of claim 13 wherein melting at least the damaged portion of the incident light surface region occurs in response to directing the laser pulse to impinge on the incident light surface.

24. The method of claim 13 wherein the excess energy deposited during the damage event converts the damaged portion into a liquid phase.