20-mj-1-ps-ybyag-thin-disk-regenerative-amplifier

20 mJ, 1 ps Yb:YAG Thin-disk Regenerative Amplifier

This is a report on a 100 W, 20 mJ, 1 ps Yb:YAG thin-disk regenerative amplifier. A homemade Yb:YAG thin-disk, Kerr-lens mode-locked oscillator with ...

Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich

Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics

The development of new high power laser sources tends toward optical parametric chirped pulse amplification (OPCPA) in recent years. One of the difficulties in OPCPA is the the temporal overlap between pump and seed pulses. In this work we characterize our timing jitter on a single-shot basis using spectrally resolved cross-correlation in combination with a position sensitive detector. A commercial beam stabilization is adapted to actively enhance temporal overlap. This delay-stabilizer reduces the RMS jitter from σ = 127 fs down to σ = 24 fs. The enhanced temporal overlap is demonstrated in our frontend and we propose the scheme to be applicable in many optically synchronized high-repetition-rate OPCPA systems.

Active stabilization for optically synchronized optical parametric chirped pulse amplification.

We report on an active synchronization between two independent mode-locked lasers using a combined electronic-optical feedback. With this scheme, seed pulses at MHz repetition rate were amplified in a non-collinear optical parametric chirped pulse amplifier (OPCPA). The amplifier was seeded with stretched 1.5 nJ pulses from a femtosecond Ti:Sapphire oscillator, while pumped with the 1 ps, 2.9 µJ frequency-doubled output of an Yb:YAG thin-disk oscillator. The residual timing jitter between the two oscillators was suppressed to 120 fs (RMS), allowing for an efficient and broadband amplification at 11.5 MHz to a pulse energy of 700 nJ and an average power of 8 W. First compression experiment with 240 nJ amplified pulse energy resulted in a pulse duration of ~10 fs.

Pump-seed synchronization for MHz repetition rate, high-power optical parametric chirped pulse amplification.

We produce 1.5 cycle (10.5 fs), 1.2 mJ, 3 kHz carrier-envelope-phase-stable pulses at 2.1 μm carrier wavelength, from a three-stage optical parametric chirped-pulse amplifier system, pumped by an optically synchronized 1.6 ps Yb:YAG thin disk laser. A chirped periodically poled lithium niobate crystal is used to generate the ultrabroad spectrum needed for a 1.5 cycle pulse through difference frequency mixing of spectrally broadened pulse from a Ti:sapphire amplifier. It will be an ideal tool for producing isolated attosecond pulses with high photon energies.

Carrier-envelope-phase-stable, 1.2 mJ, 1.5 cycle laser pulses at 2.1 μm.

We present experimental observations and corresponding numerical simulations illustrating the difference-frequency generation of mid-infrared radiation using few-cycle near-infrared-to-visible pulses, which yields conversion efficiencies above 12% in beta-barium borate crystal. Type I and type II phase-matching are shown to yield qualitatively different intensity-scaling behavior, with the former showing higher overall efficiency, especially with the addition of a zero-order wave plate for modifying the polarization state of the pulse, and the latter having a better stability of the spectrum versus input intensity.

Efficient, octave-spanning difference-frequency generation using few-cycle pulses in simple collinear geometry.

The dynamics of chirped pulse amplification in thin-disk regenerative amplifiers relevant to the pumping of optical parametric chirp pulse amplification systems are described. It is shown that the suitability for reproducible pumping of subsequent nonlinear processes requires a balance between the demands of avoiding chaotic pulse train dynamics and providing a reproducible spectral phase. We describe measures that may be taken to ensure that a laser system operates in the desired stable regime.

Decoupling chaotic amplification and nonlinear phase in high-energy thin-disk amplifiers for stable OPCPA pumping.

We report a 100 W, 20 mJ, 1-ps, all-Yb:YAG thin-disk regenerative amplifier seeded by a microjoule-level Yb:YAG thin-disk Kerr-lens mode-locked oscillator. The regenerative amplifier is implemented in a chirped pulse amplification system and operates at an ambient temperature in air, delivering ultrastable output pulses at a 5 kHz repetition rate and with a root mean square power noise value of less than 0.5%. Second harmonic generation of the amplifier's output in a 1.5 mm-thick BBO crystal results in more than 70 W at 515 nm, making the system an attractive source for pumping optical parametric chirped pulse amplifiers in the visible and near-infrared spectral ranges.

High-power, 1-ps, all-Yb:YAG thin-disk regenerative amplifier.

We demonstrate pulse shortening of 1-ps Yb:YAG thin-disk regenerative amplifier to 500 fs by cross-polarized wave generation (XPW) in a 6 mm BaF<sub>2</sub> crystal. The process is self-compressed and has 8.5% conversion efficiency corresponding to 18 µJ energy. Our theoretical and experimental investigation shows that the factor of 3 spectral broadening and pulse shortening in ps-XPW-generation only happens in unsaturated regime. We demonstrate that the initial spectral chirp affects the spectral broadening and pulse shortening of XPW pulses.

Self-compressed, spectral broadening of a Yb:YAG thin-disk amplifier.

We report on design, production and characterization of an extremely broadband multilayer beamsplitter, covering wavelength range from 0.67 - 2.6 µm. The group delay dispersion has small oscillations in the above mentioned working range. We used a new algorithm with floating constants allowing us to obtain a smooth and near constant GDD. The optical element based on the beamsplitter is used for dividing a low-energy super-octave spectrum into several sub-spectral regions which are later amplified and coherently combined.

Broadband beamsplitter for high intensity laser applications in the infra-red spectral range.

We report on the generation of a multi-octave, phase-stable continuum from the output of a Yb:YAG regenerative amplifier delivering 1-ps pulses with randomly varying carrier-envelope phase (CEP). The intrinsically CEP-stable spectral continuum spans from 450 nm to beyond 2500 nm, covering a spectral range of about 0.6 PHz. The generated coherent broadband light carries an energy of 4 μJ, which can be scaled to higher values if required. The system has been designed and is ideally suited for seeding broadband parametric amplifiers and multichannel synthesizers pumped by picosecond Yb:YAG amplifiers, obviating the need for active timing synchronization required in previous approaches. The presented concept paves the way to cost-effective, reliable all-Yb:YAG single-cycle sources with terawatt peak-power and tens-of-Watts average power.

Near-PHz-bandwidth, phase-stable continua generated from a Yb:YAG thin-disk amplifier.

We report on a laser system based on thin-disk technology and chirped pulse amplification, providing output pulse energies of 200 mJ at a 5 kHz repetition rate. The amplifier contains a ring-type cavity and two thin Yb:YAG disks, each pumped by diode laser systems providing up to 3.5 kW power at a 969 nm wavelength. The average output power of more than 1 kW is delivered in an excellent output beam characterized by M<sup>2</sup>=1.1. The output pulses are compressed to 1.1 ps at full power with a pair of dielectric gratings.

Article	Year
Active stabilization for optically synchronized optical parametric chirped pulse amplification. Optics express\| PubMed ID: 22418362	2012
Pump-seed synchronization for MHz repetition rate, high-power optical parametric chirped pulse amplification. Optics express\| PubMed ID: 22535076	2012
Carrier-envelope-phase-stable, 1.2 mJ, 1.5 cycle laser pulses at 2.1 μm. Optics letters\| PubMed ID: 23202108	2012
Efficient, octave-spanning difference-frequency generation using few-cycle pulses in simple collinear geometry. Optics letters\| PubMed ID: 24321963	2013
Decoupling chaotic amplification and nonlinear phase in high-energy thin-disk amplifiers for stable OPCPA pumping. Optics express\| PubMed ID: 25607094	2014
High-power, 1-ps, all-Yb:YAG thin-disk regenerative amplifier. Optics letters\| PubMed ID: 26977650	2016
Self-compressed, spectral broadening of a Yb:YAG thin-disk amplifier. Optics express\| PubMed ID: 27409853	2016
Broadband beamsplitter for high intensity laser applications in the infra-red spectral range. Optics express\| PubMed ID: 27464129	2016
Near-PHz-bandwidth, phase-stable continua generated from a Yb:YAG thin-disk amplifier. Optics express\| PubMed ID: 27828164	2016
1 kW, 200 mJ picosecond thin-disk laser system. Optics letters\| PubMed ID: 28362774	2017

Hanieh Fattahi

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