Stimulated Raman Backscattering in Plasma — a Promising Tool for the Generation of Ultra-High Power Laser Beams

Hana Turčičová,Jaroslav Huynh

doi:10.14311/1777

Abstract

In the last fifteen years stimulated Raman backscattering (SRBS) in plasma has been intensively elaborated as a promising tool on the way towards high intense lasers. There are several advantages of this technique in comparison to the world-wide used the CPA-Chirped Pulse Amplification technique for a laser amplification. We present the principle of the SRBS technique, the best results so far obtained in theory and experiment, and a possible SRBS project at the PALS Research Centre in Prague.

Highlights

Since the very beginning of the laser performing there has been a trend for the laser pulse shortening and power increasing
The technique is known as CPA – Chirped Pulse Amplification which enabled the amplification of ultra-short pulses up to a femtosecond range
In the last fifteen years again a new potentially revolutionary technique has emerged from theoretical studies of wave instabilities in laser plasma, which presents a possibility of the production of intense and ultrashort laser pulses even without the large compressors

Summary

Introduction

Since the very beginning of the laser performing there has been a trend for the laser pulse shortening and power increasing. In the following, the pulse has to be optically compressed to its original duration (in an optical compressor). In the 90s the CPA technique became a part of another revolutionary method in the ultra-short-pulse amplification, OPCPA – Optical Parametric Chirped Pulse Amplification. This technique brought many benefits, among others substantially improved pulse contrast, which is a very important parameter in laser–target interactions. In the last fifteen years again a new potentially revolutionary technique has emerged from theoretical studies of wave instabilities in laser plasma, which presents a possibility of the production of intense and ultrashort laser pulses even without the large compressors. In the following we propose a possible project on SRBS at the Research Center of PALS (Prague Asterix Laser System) in Prague, CZ

SRBS in simulations and experiments

SRBS at PALS

Conclusion