Statistics of laser damage to transparent polymers

An investigation was made of the size dependences and spatial fluctuations of the laser damage thresholds of different transparent polymers subjected to radiation of wavelengths 1.06 and 0.69 ..mu.. interacting with zones the volumes of which were spread over a wide range. A correspondence was established between the size (volume) dependences and the dependences of the damage probability on the intensity of the incident radiation. It was concluded that the absorbing defects played a decisive role in the processes of laser damage occurring in transparent polymers.