title: Divided-pulse amplification to the joule level.
abstract: Divided-pulse amplification (DPA) has proven to be a valuable tool in scaling the peak power of diode-pumped ytterbium-doped amplifiers to beyond the single-pulse threshold for parasitic nonlinear effects. DPA enables the amplification of picosecond pulses in solid-state amplifiers with limited bandwidth beyond the single-pulse damage threshold. In this Letter, we demonstrate DPA of picosecond pulses in a flashlamp-pumped Nd:YAG amplifier for the first time, to the best of our knowledge, yielding a combined pulse energy of 167 mJ.
authors.forename: Benjamin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Webb
authors.forename: Ahmad
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Azim
authors.forename: Nathan
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Bodnar
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Chini
authors.forename: Lawrence
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Shah
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Richardson