Hybrid compressor design for a 10PW laser

D Kramer,J Novák,B Rus

doi:10.1051/epjconf/20134800010

Abstract

The ELI beamlines facility will house a 10PW laser with ultrashort pulse duration. The laser damage threshold of the coatings limits the minimum size of the last compression grating. Due to production restrictions, the last grating has to be tiled. This design was produced in order to minimize the total number of gratings in the compressor together with the spatial requirements.

Highlights

One of the aims of the ELI-beamlines [1] facility is to build a 10PW laser chain and allow reaching unprecedented intensities in the experiments.There are several possible approaches to produce a 10PW laser beam
In that way the size of the gratings will decrease and the fluence on their surface will increase. Main aim of this design is to reduce a number of gratings used in first half of the compressor, where pulses are still relatively long, and laser induced damage threshold (LIDT) is higher
Using an asymmetric compressor design allows decreasing the number of gratings for a kJ level 10 PW class laser, which will be constructed in the ELI – Beamlines facility

Summary

Introduction

One of the aims of the ELI-beamlines [1] facility is to build a 10PW laser chain and allow reaching unprecedented intensities in the experiments. There are several possible approaches to produce a 10PW laser beam. If one produces a compressed beam with a few hundreds of joules, its pulse length must not exceed several tens of fs. Another possible approach consists in compressing a beam with energy above a kJ and compressing it to nearly 100fs. This approach is more favourable for the acceleration of electrons beyond the energy of few GeV. The pulse length for acceleration should be in the order of few hundred fs as indicated in [2]

Methods

Findings

Discussion

Conclusion