Design and characterization of a near-diffraction-limited femtosecond 100-TW 10-Hz high-intensity laser system

We present the design and characterization of a femtosecond high-intensity laser system emitting a near-diffraction-limited beam. This system was dimensioned in order to reach intensities in excess of 1020 W/cm2 at a high repetition rate for ultrahigh-field physics experiments. We describe the impro...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Applied physics. B, Lasers and optics Lasers and optics, 2002-04, Vol.74 (6), p.529-535
Main Authors: PITTMAN, M, FERRE, S, J.P.ROUSSEAU, NOTEBAERT, L, CHAMBARET, J. P, CHERIAUX, G
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Amplification
Applied physics
Beam characteristics: profile, intensity, and power
spatial pattern formation
Beams (radiation)
Chirp
Design engineering
Design of specific laser systems
Diffraction
Exact sciences and technology
Femtosecond
Focusing
Fundamental areas of phenomenology (including applications)
Gain
High power lasers
Laser beams
Laser optical systems: design and operation
Lasers
Nonlinear optics
Optics
Physics
Resonators, cavities, amplifiers, arrays, and rings
Ultrafast processes
optical pulse generation and pulse compression
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Summary:We present the design and characterization of a femtosecond high-intensity laser system emitting a near-diffraction-limited beam. This system was dimensioned in order to reach intensities in excess of 1020 W/cm2 at a high repetition rate for ultrahigh-field physics experiments. We describe the improvements that were added to a conventional chirp pulse amplification configuration in order to decrease the deleterious effects of gain narrowing, gain shifting, thermal focusing in the amplifier stages, and spatial degradation due to multipass amplification processes.
ISSN:0946-2171
1432-0649
DOI:10.1007/s003400200838