To build high power lasers, they require components that can withstand extremely powerful light. Before damage occurs, the material may deform or show other indicators. By characterizing defects in optics and determining how they react to light, we can assist in improving the resilience of high power optics. These measured reactions can range from slight bending of the sample, up to catastrophic optical damage. To support these studies, we have precision diagnostic equipment and custom built lasers. For sample diagnostics, we have a scanning microscope, thermal camera, and Zygo. Laser diagnostics include Gentec power meters and beam profilers, and a DataRay beam quality (M2) device. Our custom built laser has a central wavelength of 1 µm, and a maximum output of ~1 kW. This system was constructed and is maintained by LPL students. It serves as a learning platform to train the next generation of high power laser experts.