Development of a high-contrast,high-peak power,Ti:Sapphire/OPCPA laser system

We report on a high-contrast, high-peak power laser system, which combines both conventional laser amplification and optical parametric chirped pulse amplification (OPCPA) techniques. By employing an OPCPA system after a regenerative amplifier, we have enhanced the prepulse contrast by six orders of magnitude. A prepulse contrast of better than 4.4 × 10^?11 has been measured with a high-energy broadband pulse of 24 mJ at a 10 Hz repetition rate from the OPCPA system. With a subsequent four-pass Ti:sapphire amplifier, we have achieved an amplified energy of 279 mJ and an ultrashort recompressed amplified pulse duration of 23.5 fs. We also discuss the basic design aspects and present our preliminary experimental investigations for higher energy operation to a multijoule.     

1.5 mJ, 6.4 fs parametric chirped-pulse amplification system at 1 kHz

We demonstrate an optical parametric chirped-pulse amplification (OPCPA) system with the pulse energy of 1.5 mJ at a 1 kHz repetition rate. The newly developed 100 ps Ti:sapphire pump laser system, which was optically synchronized with OPCPA seed pulses, delivered 10 mJ, 400 nm pump pulses. After three-stage parametric amplification, recompression of the amplifier output from 45 ps to 6.4 fs was performed. The pulse width of 6.4 fs is, to our knowledge, the shortest ever obtained by OPCPA, and the average power of 1.5 W (1.5 mJ, 1 kHz) is believed to be the highest among few-cycle OPCPA systems.     

Generation of high-contrast millijoule pulses by optical parametric chirped-pulse amplification in periodically poled KTiOPO4

A new high-contrast, high-gain optical parametric chirped-pulse amplifier (OPCPA) architecture is demonstrated in periodically poled KTiOPO4 (PPKTP). This architecture overcomes parametric fluorescence contrast limitations of the OPCPA in periodically poled materials. The scheme is based on two passes of a single relay-imaged pump pulse and a free-propagating signal pulse through a 1.5 mm x 5 mm x 7.5 mm PPKTP crystal. The output energy of 1.2 mJ is generated at a center wavelength of 1053 nm by 24 mJ of pump energy. A prepulse contrast level of > 3 x 10(7) was measured with > 10(6) saturated gain in the amplifier. Amplified pulses were compressed to 200 fs. This simple and versatile concept requires only a modest pump energy from a commercial pump laser and represents a possible high-contrast front end for high-energy Nd:glass-based petawatt-class lasers.     

Optical parametric chirped pulse amplification based on photonic crystal fibre

A compact two-stage optical parametric chirped pulse amplifier based on photonic crystal fibre is demonstrated.A 1064-nm soliton pulse is obtained in a home-made photonic crystal fibre (PCF) with femtosecond pulse pumping and then amplified to 2 mJ in an Nd:YAG regenerative amplifier.After the amplified pulses pass through the LBO crystal,the 532-nm double-frequency light with an energy of 0.8 mJ and a duration of over 100 ps at 10-Hz repetition rate is generated as a pump source in the following two-stage optical parametric amplification (OPA).The 850-nm chirped signal light gain from the stretcher is 1.5×10 4 in the first-stage OPA while it is 120 in the second-stage OPA.The total signal gain of optical parametric chirped pulse amplification (OPCPA) can reach 1.8×10 6.     

Yb:YAG Innoslab amplifier: efficient high repetition rate subpicosecond pumping system for optical parametric chirped pulse amplification

We report on a Yb:YAG Innoslab laser amplifier system for generation of subpicsecond high energy pump pulses for optical parametric chirped pulse amplification (OPCPA) at high repetition rates. Pulse energies of up to 20 mJ (at 12.5 kHz) and repetition rates of up to 100 kHz were attained with pulse durations of 830 fs and average power in excess of 200 W. We further investigate the possibility to use subpicosecond pulses to derive a stable continuum in a YAG crystal for OPCPA seeding.     

稳定高质量光参量啁啾脉冲放大系统优化设计

要实现光参量啁啾脉冲放大(OPCPA)系统稳定、高质量输出,需要同时对光参量放大和泵浦光倍频这两个非线性过程进行优化设计。在光参量放大系统优化设计中,建立了描述光参量放大过程的多种简化物理模型;通过模拟泵浦光和信号光口径匹配关系,分析了放大信号光空间两维对称性并提出了优化方法;建立了非线性晶体最佳长度确定及调谐方法,以实现信号光输出高稳定性。在泵浦光倍频系统优化设计过程中,提出应用位相失配法实现稳定倍频输出,研究表明这种方法不仅能实现倍频光能量起伏抖动远远小于基频光能量的起伏抖动,而且能减小泵浦光近场调制度和时间波形调制,极大地改善输出倍频光光束质量,进而提高OPCPA系统输出信号光质量。     

基于大基模体积的10mJ飞秒钛宝石激光再生放大器

文章报导了基于大基模体积的高能量飞秒钛宝石激光再生放大器的设计与实验研究,在重复频率10 Hz、抽运能量60 mJ的激励下,得到了单脉冲能量17.4 mJ的种子脉冲放大结果,压缩后的脉冲宽度为40.6 fs,能量为13.9 mJ.借助于此大基模体积再生腔,仅增加一级多通放大,实现了峰值功率达1.9 TW飞秒激光脉冲输出.结果表明,大模体积再生放大不仅降低了后续放大对抽运能量的要求,也可以单独压缩实现再生腔直接输出10 mJ量级的飞秒激光脉冲,是大能量高峰值功率飞秒激光系统的优质前端.     

High-power output from a compact OPCPA laser system

With a tabletop hybrid Nd:YAG-Nd:glass laser as pump source, a compact optical parametric chirpedpulse amplification(OPCPA)laser system with a peak output power of 16.7 TW and a pulse duration of120 fs has been demonstrated.Chirped pulses are amplified from 50 pJ to more than 3.1 J with an energygain of above 6×10~(10)by three LBO optical parametric amplifiers with a pump energy of 12.4 J at 532nm.After compression, a final output of 2.0-J/120-fs pulse is obtained. To the best of our knowledge,itis the highest peak output power from an OPCPA laser so far.In addition, a practical design of 1-PWlaser system based on the technique of OPCPA is also proposed.     

Femtosecond pulse parametric amplification at narrowband high power gas laser pumping

In ultrashort pulse amplification a narrowband gas pump pulse laser has been used for the first time. An all-stage optical parametric chirped pulse amplifier (OPCPA) was driven by a single-shot iodine photodissociation laser. For the first time a broadband amplification was achieved in potassium dihydrogen phosphate crystal at 800 nm seeding. Ti:sapphire laser pulses stretched from 12.5 fs to 250 ps were amplified and compressed to 27 fs at a 0.5 TW output power. The results suggest using narrowband high power gas lasers as OPCPA drivers to generate petawatt beams.     

采用环形再生腔结构的飞秒激光啁啾脉冲放大研究

采用环形再生腔结构的啁啾脉冲放大技术方案, 在重复频率100 Hz,单脉冲能量33.1 mJ的532 nm激光抽运下, 从钛宝石激光中获得了单脉冲能量9.84 mJ的放大输出, 对应的斜效率达33.1%.在重复频率10 Hz的情况下, 同样获得了单脉冲能量为9.64 mJ, 对应斜效率达36.8%的高效率放大结果. 通过色散补偿压缩该啁啾激光脉冲后的单脉冲能量为6.36 mJ, 脉冲宽度为59.7 fs. 测量结果表明典型的能量不稳定度为1.85%. 关键词： 啁啾脉冲放大 再生放大 飞秒激光 环形腔     

Broadband femtosecond OPCPA system driven by the single-shot narrow-band iodine photodissociation laser SOFIA

A two-stage optical parametric amplifier driven by a frequency-tripled beam from the high-energy iodine laser system SOFIA was built. This single-shot Optical Parametric Chirped Pulse-Amplification facility (OPCPA) and the system synchronizing the pump and signal pulses are described in detail. The chirped seed pulse of a Ti:sapphire oscillator running at the central wavelength of 800?nm is amplified in the two-stage (LBO and KDP) optical parametric amplifier over 10⁸ times. The amplified spectral bandwidth of 68?nm corresponds to the pulse duration of 14?fs when a transform-limited pulse is assumed. This implies a compressed pulse of TW power. Systematic gain measurements reveal a good match with the theoretical predictions. Signal and idler beam fluence profiles are presented. The suitability of the iodine photo-dissociation laser as a pump source for the OPCPA technique is thus proved for the first time experimentally. A distinctive feature of the iodine laser is its very narrow gain bandwidth (<0.1?cm^?1) and, therefore, the conventional chirped-pulse amplification technique does not lead to pulse durations at the femtosecond level.     

Hundred mJ, sub-picoseconds, high temporal contrast OPCPA/Yb:YAG ceramic thin disk hybrid laser system

The authors have demonstrated an optical parametric chirped-pulse amplification (OPCPA)/Yb:YAG ceramic thin disk hybrid laser system having hundred mJ level pulse energy sub-picosecond pulse duration with high temporal contrast. At an input chirped-pulse energy of 3.8?mJ from an OPCPA preamplifier an output energy of 130?mJ has been generated from multipass diode-pumped Yb:YAG ceramic thin disk amplifier. A recompressed pulse duration of 450?fs with a contrast level of less than 7.2×10^?9 at ?150?ps before the main pulse has been obtained. The contrast level is the highest value achieved in Yb:YAG chirped-pulse amplification (CPA) laser system at 100?mJ level.     

用于产生亚12fs脉冲的脉冲波前匹配的超宽带光学参量啁啾脉冲放大器

研究和建议了一种用于产生亚12fs脉冲的基于脉冲波前匹配的LBO超宽带光学参量啁啾脉冲放大器。实验结果表明LBO超宽带光学参量啁啾脉冲放大器可以输出大于60nm(FWHM)的增益光谱带宽，为了利用这种放大器产生转换限制的脉冲输出，给出了一种将超宽带光学参量啁啾脉冲放大器与脉冲波前匹配相结合的方法，这种方法等价于信号光脉冲波前无斜置的放大，克服了超宽带参量啁啾脉冲放大器中由于信号光的脉冲波前斜置而导致很难获得最短压缩脉冲输出的缺陷，从而允许产生转换限制的亚12fs脉冲。     

输出能量4mJ的1kHz飞秒掺钛蓝宝石激光再生放大研究

针对高能量千赫兹重复频率飞秒激光的应用需求,设计了一套采用线性再生腔结构的高效率飞秒钛宝石激光啁啾脉冲放大系统.通过优化腔型设计,在重复频率为1 kHz、单脉冲能量为20 mJ的527 nm激光抽运下,将展宽后的800 nm啁啾脉冲激光的能量放大到5.8 mJ,对应斜效率达到30.7%.进一步通过色散补偿压缩脉冲宽度,获得了单脉冲能量为4 mJ、脉冲宽度为45.7 fs的输出,稳定性测量表明激光的能量抖动仅为0.18%(均方根值).     

Demonstration of highly efficient broadband amplification in a optical parametric chirped-pulse amplifier system

We have demonstrated highly efficient broadband amplification by an optical parametric chirped pulse amplifier (OPCPA) system that uses high energy seed pulses. The OPCPA consists of three type I B-barium borate (BBO) crystals pumped by a Q-switched Nd:YAG laser. We successfully amplified the microjoule level seed pulses to 78 mJ with a pump-to-signal optical conversion efficiency of 26% at a 10 Hz repetition rate. To our knowledge these results represent the most optically efficient OPCPA to date pumped by a typical Q-switched laser.     

Generation of high-contrast and high-intensity laser pulses using an OPCPA preamplifier in a double CPA, Ti:sapphire laser system

We demonstrate a high-contrast, high-intensity double chirped-pulse amplification (CPA) Ti:sapphire laser system using an optical parametric chirped-pulse (OPCPA) pre- amplifier. By injecting cleaned microjoule seed pulses into the OPCPA, a temporal contrast greater than 10¹⁰ within picosecond times before the main femtosecond pulse is demonstrated with an output pulse energy of 1.7 J and a pulse duration of 30 fs, corresponding to a peak power of 60 TW at a 10 Hz repetition rate. This system uses a cryogenically-cooled Ti:sapphire final amplifier and generates focused peak intensities in excess of 10²⁰ W/cm².     

OPCPA pump laser based on a regenerative amplifier with volume Bragg grating spectral filtering

A novel Nd:YVO₄−based regenerative amplifier system operating in the picosecond regime featuring a volume Bragg grating (VBG) as an intracavity spectral narrowing element is described. This compact amplifier provides pulses with duration of ∼85 ps operating at repetition rates ranging from single shot to 10 kHz. The VBG is used to passively tailor the pulse duration and achieve transform-limited pulses with 50 pm FWHM of spectral linewidth. A Gaussian output beam profile is obtained from the amplifier at all repetition rates. The intracavity VBG also guarantees a high spectral purity by efficiently preventing the build-up of out-of-band ASE. The spectral, spatial and temporal properties of this amplifier make it highly suitable for OPCPA pumping applications.     

High-energy, diode-pumped, picosecond Yb:YAG chirped-pulse regenerative amplifier for pumping optical parametric chirped-pulse amplification

A diode-pumped, cryogenic-cooled Yb:YAG regenerative amplifier utilizing gain-narrowing has been developed. A 1.2-ns chirped-seed pulse was simultaneously amplified and compressed in the regenerative amplifier, which generated a 35-ps pulse with ~8-mJ of energy without a pulse compressor. Second-harmonics of the amplified pulse was used to pump picosecond two-color optical parametric amplification.     

Broadband, high gain two-stage optical parametric chirped pulse amplifier using BBO crystals for a femtosecond high-power Ti:sapphire laser system

We design a two-stage non-collinear optical parametric chirped pulse amplifier using BBO crystals for a high-power Ti:sapphire laser system, and numerically analyze the output characteristics of the OPCPA system. We find optimal phase-matching conditions and calculate the parametric gains as a function of pump intensity and interaction length. By constructing a two-stage OPCPA system using two BBO crystals, we obtain 12 mJ output energy corresponding to a high gain of 10⁷, a pulse duration of 37 fs, and a contrast ratio of 5×10⁻⁸.     

Multi-millijoule, nonlinear preamplifier for high intensity femtosecond Yb:YAG chirped-pulse amplification lasers at 1030 nm

We report the highest energy broadband laser pulses at a center wavelength of 1030 nm based on optical parametric chirped-pulse amplification (OPCPA). We have demonstrated amplification of 1030 nm femtosecond laser pulses from a broadband Yb oscillator to over 6.5 mJ with a total gain of greater than 10⁷ achieved in a single pass through only 56 mm of gain material at a 10 Hz repetition rate. The amplified spectral bandwidth of 10.8 nm affords recompression to a 230 fs pulse duration following amplification. As an alternative to the regenerative amplifier (RA) this system is one of the more promising candidates for realizing compact, high intensity, direct diode-pumped, high repetition rate femtosecond Yb:YAG chirped-pulse amplification (CPA) in laser systems.