High energy and high stability optical parametric chirped pulse amplifier for seeding the petawatt beamlines of the Orion laser facility

M. T. Girling; S. F. J. Parker; D. Hussey; N. W. Hopps

doi:10.1117/12.853916

19 May 2010 High energy and high stability optical parametric chirped pulse amplifier for seeding the petawatt beamlines of the Orion laser facility

M. T. Girling, S. F. J. Parker, D. Hussey, N. W. Hopps

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 7721, Solid State Lasers and Amplifiers IV, and High-Power Lasers; 772122 (2010) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.853916
Event: SPIE Photonics Europe, 2010, Brussels, Belgium

Abstract

A high-conversion-efficiency optical parametric chirped-pulse amplifier (OPCPA) with high-energy-stability is demonstrated using lithium triborate (LBO) crystals. Total conversion efficiency of 25% is realised with a net gain of greater than 10⁸. An output energy of ~180mJ at a 2-Hz repetition rate, with a stability of better than 1.5% rms is achieved. The output beam takes the spatial profile of the 20^th-power super-Gaussian pump beam, whose intensity deviates by less than 7.5% rms over the central 90%. The far-field, whose diameter is near diffraction limited, has a pointing stability of less than one-twelfth of an airy-radius. To the authors' knowledge this is the first demonstration of an all LBO OPCPA to simultaneously achieve this level of performance.

Citation Download Citation

M. T. Girling, S. F. J. Parker, D. Hussey, and N. W. Hopps "High energy and high stability optical parametric chirped pulse amplifier for seeding the petawatt beamlines of the Orion laser facility", Proc. SPIE 7721, Solid State Lasers and Amplifiers IV, and High-Power Lasers, 772122 (19 May 2010); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.853916

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