PW Ti Research Articles

Wide-Aperture Bimorph Deformable Mirror for Beam Focusing in 4.2 PW Ti:Sa Laser

The bimorph deformable mirror with a diameter of 320 mm, including 127 control electrodes, has been developed and tested. The flatness of the initial mirror surface of about 1 μm (P-V) was achieved by mechanically adjusting the mirror substrate fixed in the metal mount. To correct for the aberrations and improve the beam focusing in the petawatt Ti:Sa laser, the wide-aperture adaptive optical system with the deformable mirror and Shack–Hartmann wavefront sensor was developed. Correction of the wavefront aberrations in the 4.2 PW Ti:Sa laser using the adaptive system provided increases the intensity in the focusing plane to a value of 1.1 × 1023 W/cm2

Investigations of gain redshift in high peak power Ti:sapphire laser systems

Gain redshift in high peak power Ti:sapphire laser systems can result in narrowband spectral output and hence lengthen the compressed pulse duration. In order to realize broadband spectral output in 10 PW-class Ti:sapphire lasers, the influence on gain redshift induced by spectral pre-shaping, gain distribution of cascaded amplifiers and Extraction During Pumping (EDP) technique have been investigated. The theoretical and experimental results show that the redshift of output spectrum is sensitive to the spectral pre-shaping and the gain distribution of cascaded amplifiers, while insensitive to the pumping scheme with or without EDP. Moreover, the output spectrum from our future 10 PW Ti:sapphire laser is theoretically analyzed based on the investigations above, which indicates that a Fourier-transform limited (FTL) pulse duration of 21 fs can be achieved just by optimizing the spectral pre-shaping and gain distribution in 10 PW-class Ti:sapphire lasers.

Design of a thin disk amplifier with extraction during pumping for high peak and average power Ti:Sa systems (EDP-TD).

Combination of the scheme of extraction during pumping (EDP) and the Thin Disk (TD) technology is presented to overcome the limitations associated with thermal cooling of crystal and transverse amplified spontaneous emission in high average power laser systems based on Ti:Sa amplifiers. The optimized design of high repetition rate 1-10 PW Ti:Sapphire EDP-TD power amplifiers are discussed, including their thermal dynamic behavior.

用于抽运5 PW钛宝石啁啾脉冲放大器的钕玻璃片状放大器的设计与应用

Based on the Monte Carlo rays tracing method, the three dimensional numerical model of pump distribution in Nd: glass disc amplifier is developed. In addition, combined with the other numerical models of Xe flashlamp charge/discharge circuit, amplified spontaneous emission, and laser pulse amplification, the whole work process of Nd: glass disc-amplifier is numerical simulated in detail to realize the whole process of the energy storage to the amplifying of Nd: glass disc amplifier. Based on the results of numerical simulation, the designed Nd: glass disc amplifier is used in the experiments of 5 PW Ti: sapphire chirped pulse amplifier, and the experimental results are in good accordance with the calculated consequence. ? 2016, Chinese Lasers Press. All right reserved.

Theoretical model to suppress parasitic lasing in large-aperture Ti:sapphire amplifiers using a temporal dual-pulse pump

Transverse parasitic lasing (PL) in large-aperture Ti:sapphire (Ti:S) crystals is a critical factor that limits the energy achievable with the chirped-pulse amplification (CPA) technique. We propose a method to suppress PL effects in large-aperture Ti:S amplifiers by using a temporal dual-pulse pump. Theoretical simulations based on the experimental parameters in 2.0PW Ti:S laser system are performed to predict the transverse gain as a function of pumping time and output energy. By optimizing the temporal profile of the pump beam as well as the time delay between the input seed and pump pulses, we can minimize PL effects in Ti:S crystals. This method is applicable to larger-aperture Ti:S crystals pumped at higher pump fluence and energy, and is potential to develop a ~10PW laser system.

High-contrast 116 PW Ti:sapphire laser system combined with a doubled chirped-pulse amplification scheme and a femtosecond optical-parametric amplifier

Based on a combined scheme of doubled chirped-pulse amplification and a femtosecond noncollinear optical-parametric amplifier, a high-contrast femtosecond laser pulse with energy of up to 32.3 J has been generated by improving the gain efficiency and boosting the pump energy to 120 J in the final amplifier. Our measurements show that the contrast ratio of the main laser pulse is around 10(10) within the time scale of -400 ps and the duration of compressed pulse is 27.9 fs, corresponding to a peak power of 1.16 PW.

Status of Thomson source at SPARC/PLASMONX

The PLasma Acceleration and MONochromatic X-ray generation (PLASMONX) project foresees the installation at LNF of a 0.3 PW (6 J, 20 fs pulse) Ti:Sa laser system, named Frascati Laser for Acceleration and Multidisciplinary Experiments (FLAME), to operate in close connection with the existent SPARC electron photo-injector, allowing for advanced laser/e-beam interaction experiments. Among the foreseen scientific activities, a Thomson scattering experiment between the SPARC electron bunch and the high power laser will be performed. At the present time the linac has been tested and the electron beam characterized up to the maximum operating energy (150 MeV). The beam lines transporting the beam to the interaction chamber with the laser have been designed. The electron final focusing system, featuring a quadrupole triplet and large radius solenoid magnet (ensuring an e-beam waist of 5–10 μm) as well as the whole interaction chamber layout has been defined. The optical transfer line issues: transport up to the interaction; tight focusing; diagnostics and fine positioning; have been solved within the final design. The construction of the building hosting the laser has been completed; delivering and installation of the laser, as much of the beam lines elements will take place in the next months.