Nonlinear pulse compression of a 200 mJ and 1 kW ultrafast thin-disk amplifier.

Abstract

We present a high-energy laser source consisting of an ultrafast thin-disk amplifier followed by a nonlinear compression stage. At a repetition rate of 5 kHz, the drive laser provides a pulse energy of up to 200 mJ with a pulse duration below 500 fs. Nonlinear broadening is implemented inside a Herriott-type multipass cell purged with noble gas, allowing us to operate under different seeding conditions. Firstly, the nonlinear broadening of 64 mJ pulses is demonstrated in an argon-filled cell, showing a compressibility down to 32 fs. Finally, we employ helium as a nonlinear medium to increase the energy up to 200 mJ while maintaining compressibility below 50 fs. Such high-energy pulses with sub-50 fs duration hold great promise as drivers of secondary sources.