In a general implementation, data regarding a rock sample from a drilling site is received. A thermal-mechanical interaction model is generated based on the rock sample date. The thermal-mechanical interaction model is used to determine a penetration rate and mechanical damage around perforation channels through the modeling of heat that is emitted on an exposed surface of the rock sample by a laser beam emitted from a laser beam source. The determined penetration rate and mechanical damage is used to evaluate an effectiveness of the laser beam source to be used in a perforation at the drilling site.