Optimizing Self-Seeded Perfluorooctane SBS Compressor Configurations to Achieve ~90 ps High-Energy Pulses

Abstract

Three different stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS) configurations in perfluorooctane were experimentally compared to achieve the ultimate compression of ~1.1 ns pulses from a commercially available Nd:YAG mini-laser. These schemes contained either a focusing lens and a plane feedback mirror, a spherical mirror, or variable pulse splitting to provide self-seeding of the SBS. In the optimal configuration with a focusing lens and return mirror, 93 ps pulses with an energy of 9.5 mJ were achieved at the output of the double-pass phase-conjugated Nd:YAG amplifier. The resulting diffraction-free, high-quality beams with M2~1.2 and excellent pointing stability are of practical interest for scientific, medical, and industrial applications.