title: Generation of sub-three-cycle, 16 TW light pulses by using noncollinear optical parametric chirped-pulse amplification.
abstract: We present a two-stage noncollinear optical parametric chirped-pulse amplification system that generates 7.9 fs pulses containing 130 mJ of energy at an 805 nm central wavelength and 10 Hz repetition rate. These 16 TW light pulses are compressed to within 5% of their Fourier limit and are carefully characterized by the use of home-built pulse diagnostics. The contrast ratio before the main pulse has been measured as 10(-4), 10(-8), and 10(-11) at t=-3.3 ps, t=-5 ps, and t=-30 ps, respectively. This source allows for experiments in a regime of relativistic light-matter interactions and attosecond science.
authors.affiliation: Max-Planck-Institut für Quantenoptik, Hans-Kopfermann-Strasse 1, 85748 Garching, Germany. daniel.herrmann@mpq.mpg.de
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Herrmann
authors.forename: Laszlo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Veisz
authors.forename: Raphael
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Tautz
authors.forename: Franz
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Tavella
authors.forename: Karl
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Schmid
authors.forename: Vladimir
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Pervak
authors.forename: Ferenc
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Krausz