High-energy, high-contrast, multiterawatt laser pulses by optical parametric chirped-pulse amplification.
We describe a compact, reliable, high-power, and high-contrast noncollinear optical parametric chirped-pulse amplifier system. With a broadband Ti:sapphire oscillator and grating-based stretching and compression, the chirped pulses are amplified from 0.1 nJ to 122 mJ in type I beta-barium borate optical parametric chirped-pulse amplifiers with a total gain of over 10(9) at 10 Hz repetition rate. Pulse compression down to 19-fs duration achieved after amplification indicates a peak power of 3.2 TW at an average power of 0.62 W. The prepulse contrast is measured to be less than 10(-8) on picosecond time scales.
Kiriyama
Hiromitsu
H
Advanced Photon Research Center, Japan Atomic Energy Agency, 8-1 Umemidai, Kizugawa-city, Kyoto 619-0215, Japan. kiriyama.hiromitsu@jaea.go.jp
Mori
Michiaki
M
Nakai
Yoshiki
Y
Yamamoto
Yoichi
Y
Tanoue
Manabu
M
Akutsu
Atsushi
A
Shimomura
Takuya
T
Kondo
Shuji
S
Kanazawa
Shuhei
S
Daido
Hiroyuki
H
Kimura
Toyoaki
T
Miyanaga
Noriaki
N