Optical parametric chirped-pulse amplification source suitable for seeding high-energy systems

A short-pulse source based on optical parametric chirped-pulse amplification (OPCPA) technology has been developed with properties that make it a suitable seed for a high-energy OPCPA system. This source generated a diffraction-limited pulse at 910 nm with a full bandwidth of > 165 nm and a spectrum having a transform-limited pulse duration of less than 15 fs. The technique has potential for generating bandwidths > 200 nm and pulse durations < 10 fs.     

Simulations of petawatt-class few-cycle optical-parametric chirped-pulse amplification, including nonlinear refractive index effects

We present three-dimensional simulations of optical-parametric chirped-pulse amplification stages for a few-cycle petawatt-class laser. The simulations take into account the effects of depletion, diffraction, walk-off, quantum noise, and the nonlinear refractive index (n(2)). In the absence of n(2) effects, we show these stages can generate 3.67J pulses supporting 4fs transform-limited pulse durations. Adding the nonlinear refractive index to the simulation, the energy output is reduced by ~11% and the bandwidth narrows by ~129nm, increasing the Fourier limit by ~17.5%.     

Generation of high-energy femtosecond pulses in multimode-core Yb-fiber chirped-pulse amplification systems

220-fs pulses with energies of ~100microJ have been generated by use of two different configurations of diode-pumped Yb-fiber chirped-pulse amplification systems. Energy scaling was demonstrated with 25-microm -core diameter fibers, in which stable diffraction-limited output (M(2)~1.1) was achieved. A two-stage fiber-amplifier system produced average powers of up to 5.5 W at ~1- MHz pulse-repetition rate. A double-pass configuration provided 53-dB gain in a single Yb-fiber amplifier stage, thus eliminating the necessity for multiple amplification stages as well as the need for using polarization-preserving fibers.     

Demonstration of a cavity-enhanced optical parametric chirped-pulse amplification system

The use of a low finesse enhancement cavity resonant with a low average power (<1 W) and a high repetition rate (78 MHz) pump source is shown to achieve 55% conversion efficiency into signal and idler from the coupled pump in an optical parametric process, whereas an equivalent amount of pump power in a single-pass configuration leads to negligible conversion. Careful comparison of the intracavity conversion process to the single-pass case is performed to assess the underlying impedance matching that yields the high conversion results.     

使用马丁内兹展宽器的啁啾脉冲放大器特性研究

导出了使用马丁内兹展宽器的啁啾脉冲放大（CPA）系统的相位解析表达式，用此公式讨论了展宽器中各参数对系统的影响，并用此方法优化了实际的CPA系统- 关键词： 马丁内兹展宽器 啁啾脉冲放大系统 相位修正因子 优化     

Compensation of self-phase modulation in fiber-based chirped-pulse amplification systems

We demonstrate a simple, all-fiber technique for removing nonlinear phase due to self-phase modulation in fiber-based chirped-pulse amplification (CPA) systems. Using a LiNbO3 electro-optic phase modulator to emulate a negative nonlinear index of refraction, we are able to remove 1.0 pi rad of self-phase modulation acquired by pulses during amplification and eliminate nearly all pulse distortion. Our technique is high speed, removes nonlinear phase on a pulse-to-pulse basis, and can be readily integrated into existing CPA systems.     

Compensation of self-phase modulation in chirped-pulse amplification laser systems

Small amounts of self-phase modulation can lead to significant pulse distortions in chirped-pulse amplifiers. However, we show the surprising result that the strong chirp of the pulse can be exploited to remove these distortions completely by linear pulse shaping before amplification.     

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.     

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.     

Single-shot real-time characterization of chirped-pulse amplification systems by spectral phase interferometry for direct electric-field reconstruction

We characterize chirped-pulse amplification systems by using spectral phase interferometry for direct electric-field reconstruction. For the first time to the authors' knowledge, single-shot real-time operation has been obtained for this technique, leading to a fast and accurate optimization of these systems.     

Some design limitations for large-aperture high-energy per pulse excimer lasers

Summary Some limitation problems for gas discharge excimer lasers, when scaled to a high pulsed energy output with high repetition rate are discussed. As an example, we present some experimental results obtained with an X-ray preionized (10×10×100) cm³ active volume, low-repetition-rate-operated gas discharge XeCl laser system. ENEA student. ENEA guest.     

Analysis and evaluation of idler absorption for quasi-parametric chirped-pulse amplification

Quasi-parametric chirped-pulse amplification(QPCPA) can improve the signal amplification efficiency and stability by inhibiting the back-conversion, in which the idler absorption plays a critical role. This Letter theoretically studies the impacts of idler absorption on the QPCPA performance in both the small-signal and saturation regimes. We demonstrate that there exists an optimal idler absorption that enables the achievement of maximum pump depletion within a minimum crystal length. To overcome the reduction in small-signal gain induced by idler absorption, the configuration of gradient idler absorption is proposed and demonstrated as a superior alternative to constant idler absorption. The results provide guidelines to the design of state-of-the-art QPCPA lasers.     

High-energy, high-contrast, multiterawatt laser pulses by optical parametric chirped-pulse amplification

We describe a compact, reliable, high-power, and high-contrast noncollinear optical parametric chirped-pulse amplifier system. With a broadband Ti:sapphire oscillator and grating-based stretching and compression, the chirped pulses are amplified from 0.1 nJ to 122 mJ in type I beta-barium borate optical parametric chirped-pulse amplifiers with a total gain of over 10(9) at 10 Hz repetition rate. Pulse compression down to 19-fs duration achieved after amplification indicates a peak power of 3.2 TW at an average power of 0.62 W. The prepulse contrast is measured to be less than 10(-8) on picosecond time scales.     

大口径DKDP元件的辐照损伤分布特性

大口径高能激光装置是各强国积极研究的重点项目。对装置内大口径光学元件损伤特性进行有效评估具有非常重要的意义,在此研究大尺寸光学元件表面损伤。通过分段拍摄、图像拼合、损伤点记录、统计与归纳等工作发现,不同尺寸损伤点的分布特性差异较大。结合统计学方法与类似实验对比、理论计算等方式对损伤点分布与样品辐照环境特性变化的关系进行分析。结果显示,损伤点的位置分布与辐照光束的能量密度关联紧密;系统光束(351 nm)在低于6 J/cm²时能量分布均匀,高于6.7 J/cm²时呈现较为明显的高斯分布状态。可以为大口径高能辐照环境的元件损伤特性评估提供有价值的参考,对大口径紫外激光器的日常运行与维护具有极其重要的工程意义。     

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.     

Broadband high-energy mirror for ultrashort pulse amplification system

We report a broadband high-energy mirror for TW-class chirped-pulse amplification of ᄺ-fs pulses. This mirror consists of broadband coatings and optimized high-damage-threshold coatings for decreasing the intensity on the broadband coatings. It is important to optimize the number of high-damage-threshold coatings so that high damage-threshold and relatively low dispersion are traded off against each other. The bandwidth of this mirror ((5겨 nm at 5₀꼀 nm) is almost equivalent to that of a commercial broadband mirror, and the damage threshold of this mirror is almost equivalent to that of a commercial high-energy mirror. This mirror can withstand chirped pulse laser beam's with high fluence (>1 J/cm²) and wide spectra (153 nm FWHM) in practice.     

高重复频率高效率光参量啁啾脉冲放大研究

准相位匹配晶体在光参量放大过程具有更大的有效非线性系数,数值分析显示在光参量前级放大过程中就能够提供6.2×106的高增益饱和放大,参量转换效率大于25%,并基于准相位匹配的参量增益特性给出了一个全二极管激光器泵浦的亚TW级高重复频率OPCPA系统的优化设计.     

大口径掺钛蓝宝石晶体放大的实验研究

分析了口径为80 mm的钛宝石晶体内的增益特性,对大口径钛宝石晶体中的泵浦光能量密度和泵浦光口径进行了优化设计。对于80 mm×17 mm的晶体,最佳工作光束口径为55 mm,泵浦能量为50 J;对于80 mm×30 mm的晶体,最佳工作光束口径为60 mm,泵浦能量为90 J,且其横向小信号增益远小于80 mm×17 mm晶体的。对影响大口径钛宝石晶体放大的横向放大自发辐射（ASE）和寄生振荡采用折射率匹配的包边技术进行了抑制。实验表明,该方法把允许横向增益从13提高到了2 100。实验系统为100 J绿光台面泵浦激光器,100 TW主放大器采用四程空间构型放大光路。80 mm×17 mm钛宝石晶体c轴水平放置,泵浦光和主激光均为水平偏振。当以泵浦光能量为49 J对主放大器进行双端泵浦,注入信号光能量为1.2 J,光束口径60 mm时,获得了14.2 J的放大光输出和286 TW的最高峰值功率。     

光参量啁啾脉冲饱和放大的增益稳定性

 光参量啁啾脉冲放大（OPCPA）在饱和放大区存在一个增益稳定点，据此设计了一个输出稳定的三级OPCPA系统；第一、二、三级分别选用准相位匹配的周期极化钛氧磷酸钾（PPKTP）晶体、LBO晶体和KDP晶体作为增益介质。饱和放大时，增益随泵浦光强度变化时的增益输出稳定性明显改善，在泵浦光强度抖动低于6%的情况下，各级光参量放大器OPA输出的增益抖动小于1%。前级采用准相位匹配的PPKTP晶体作为增益介质，在远低于破坏阈值的30MW/cm²的泵浦功率密度下，可得到2×10⁵的饱和放大增益和20%的能量转换效率。