Research on optical damage to sodium chloride by ultrashort laser pulses

Thresholds of optical damage to sodium chloride by ultrashort laser pulses with a duration of about 40 fs are determined. Experiments were carried out using a terawatt titanium–sapphire laser device. p-polarized laser radiation at a wavelength of 800 nm fell on the specimen surface at an angle of 60$^\circ$. Optical damage to the surface was observed when the critical electric field strength attained 94 MV/cm.