The ablation impulse of typical asteroid simulants irradiated by a nanosecond pulsed laser has been investigated in a vacuum environment. A torsional pendulum measurement system was constructed to calculate the impulse of laser ablation. A 10 ns pulsed laser was used, with a 1064 nm wavelength, a 900 mJ maximum pulse energy, and a millimeter-scale ablation spot diameter. Impulsive coupling characteristics of six typical targets that imitate the substance of asteroids with various laser fluences were analyzed. Furthermore, the impulse coupling coefficient curves of different materials were fitted. The results reveal that the minimum laser fluence corresponding to a measurable ablation impulse is approximately 2.5 J/cm², and the optimum laser fluence corresponding to the maximum impulse coupling coefficient is approximately 14.0 J/cm². The trends of the laser ablation impulse coupling curves are roughly consistent for the six materials. Impulse coupling characteristics of the six typical materials can be represented by the same polynomial within a 95% confidence interval, so a unified rule has been given. In actual deflection tasks of asteroids, the unified impulse coupling characteristic can be used to implement laser deflection techniques, especially when the material of the asteroid cannot be accurately judged in time.

The response of a DPbS3200 infrared detector irradiated by a nanosecond pulsed laser and CW laser has been investigated to study laser-induced interference. A laser interference experiment system was constructed to measure the time-varying response signal. A nanosecond pulsed laser and a CW laser of 10 Hz were used, with a 1064 nm wavelength and a millimeter-scale irradiation spot diameter. Firstly, the characteristics of transient interference signals induced by pulsed lasers were analyzed. Then, the characteristics of response signal interference by both CW laser and pulsed laser irradiation were further investigated. The results showed that the pulsed laser only produced transient interference. However, the CW laser led to a significant amplitude reduction of the response signal, which could continuously interfere in the operating time. For transient interferences, the amplitude of the interference signal increased linearly with the laser fluence. The relation between the pulse repetition rate of the incident laser and the operating frequency of the detector determined the numbers of transient interference signals in one response period; for the interference induced by both the CW laser and pulsed laser, CW laser interference played a leading role when CW laser power density increased to 4.1 W/cm² or more. As the CW laser fluence reached 6.1 W/cm², the PbS infrared detector was no longer able to detect any signal, which caused temporary blindness. In the end, a probit model was used to determine the interference threshold.

This paper presents a finite element simulation of thermal damage to a CCD caused by nanosecond multi-pulse laser exposure. The temperature changes in the CCD due to the laser pulses were simulated, and the time evolution of thermal damage was studied. The impacts of different laser parameters such as spot radius, pulse width, and repetition frequency on thermal damage were evaluated. The results indicated that the temperature of the CCD increased with each pulse due to cumulative effects, leading to thermal damage. A smaller laser spot size intensified the temperature rise, accelerating the rate at which different layers in the CCD exceeded the relative melting point of each material. In the case of nanosecond pulse width, variations in pulse width had minimal effects on CCD thermal damage when repetition frequency and average power density were constant. Lower repetition frequencies made it easier to cause melting damage to the CCD when pulse width and average power density were constant.

Experimental and simulation analysis was conducted on the effects of 532 nm nanosecond laser-induced thermal damage on the front-side illuminated CMOS detector. The study examined CMOS detector output images at different stages of damage, including point damage, line damage, and complete failure, and correlated these with microscopic structural changes observed through optical and scanning electron microscopy. A finite element model was used to study the thermal–mechanical coupling effect during laser irradiation. The results indicated that at a laser energy density of 78.9 mJ/cm², localized melting occurs within photosensitive units in the epitaxial layer, manifesting as an irreversible white bright spot appearing in the detector output image (point damage). When the energy density is further increased to 241.9 mJ/cm², metal routings across multiple pixel units melt, resulting in horizontal and vertical black lines in the output image (line damage). Upon reaching 2005.4 mJ/cm², the entire sensor area failed to output any valid image due to thermal stress-induced delamination of the silicon dioxide insulation layer, with cracks propagating to the metal routing and epitaxial layers, ultimately causing structural deformation and device failure (complete failure).

A finite element simulation was conducted to analyze the thermal damage caused by a 532nm nanosecond pulsed laser on a CCD detector. A three-dimensional model was developed to study the temperature field variations within the detector. The simulation was centered on the laser-induced temporal progression of thermal damage in the CCD. Results showed that higher laser fluence led to increased heat accumulation, resulting in the expansion of the thermal damage area. Different thermal damage patterns were observed in the light sensor region and the light-shielded region. In the light sensor region, the melting of the silicon substrate expanded more in the transverse direction compared to the longitudinal direction with increasing laser fluence, while damage in the light-shielded region extended from the edges towards the center as laser fluence increased. These distinct damage patterns were attributed to different energy deposition patterns and structural differences between the light sensor region and the light-shielded region.

Reliable power generation from solar cells is critical for spacecraft operation. High-energy laser irradiation poses a significant threat, as it can potentially cause irreversible damage to solar cells, which is difficult to detect remotely using conventional techniques such as radar or optical imaging. Spectral detection offers a potential approach through unique “spectral fingerprints,” but the spectral characteristics of laser-damaged solar cells remain insufficiently documented. This study investigates the scattering spectral characteristics of triple-junction GaAs (Gallium Arsenide) solar cells subjected to nanosecond pulsed laser irradiation to establish spectral signatures for damage assessment. GaAs solar cells were irradiated at varying energy densities. Bidirectional Reflectance Distribution Function (BRDF) spectra (400–1200 nm) were measured. A thin-film interference model was used to simulate damage effects by varying layer thicknesses, thereby interpreting experimental results. The results demonstrate that as the laser energy density increases from 0.12 to 2.96 J/cm², the number of absorption peaks in the visible range (400–750 nm) decreases from three to zero, and the oscillation in the near-infrared range vanishes completely, indicating progressive damage to the GaInP (Gallium Indium Phosphide) and GaAs layers. This study provides a spectral-based approach for remote assessment of laser-induced damage to solar cells, which is crucial for satellite health monitoring.