A chirped-pulse amplification Ti:sapphire laser system has been designed using a 10-Hz 100-TW Ti:sapphire laser to generate 0.1-Hz 0.5-PW laser pulses and optimize their temporal qualities such as temporal contrast and pulse duration. A high-energy booster amplifier to be added is expected to produce an energy above 30 J through the parasitic lasing suppression and the efficient amplification. To improve the temporal contrast of the laser pulses, a high-contrast 1-kHz amplifier system is used as a front-end. A grating stretcher which makes the laser pulse have 1-ns duration is used to prevent optical damages due to high pulse energy during amplification. A grating compressor has been designed with group delay analysis to obtain the recompressed pulse duration close to the transform-limited pulse duration. The final laser pulses are expected to have energy above 20 J and duration below 40 fs.

© 2009 Optical Society of Korea

1. J. P. Chambaret, C. Le Blanc, G. Chériaux, P. Curley, G. Darpentigny, P. Rousseau, G. Hamoniaux, A. Antonetti, and F. Salin, "Generation of 25-TW, 32-fs pulses at 10 Hz," Opt. Lett. 21, 1921-1923 (1996) [CrossRef]
2. K. Yamakawa, M. Aoyama, S. Matsuoka, T. Kase, Y. Akahane, and H. Takuma, "100-TW sub-20-fs Ti:sapphire laser system operating at a 10-Hz repetition rate," Opt. Lett. 23, 1468-1470 (1998) [CrossRef]
3. M. Pittman, S. Ferre, J. P. Rousseau, L. Notebaert, J. P. Chambaret, and G. Cheriaux, "Design and characterization of a near-diffraction-limited femtosecond 100-TW 10-Hz high-intensity laser system," Appl. Phys. B 74, 529-535 (2002) [CrossRef]
4. M. Aoyama, K. Yamakawa, Y. Akahane, J. Ma, N. Inoue, H. Ueda, and H. Kiriyama, "0.85-PW, 33-fs Ti:sapphire laser," Opt. Lett. 28, 1594-1596 (2003) [CrossRef]
5. F. Ple, M. Pittman, G. Jamelot, and J.-P. Chambaret, "Design and emonstration of a high-energy booster amplifier for a high-repetition rate petawatt class laser system," Opt. Lett. 32, 238-240 (2007) [CrossRef]
6. X. Liang, Y. Leng, C. Wang, C. Li, L. Lin, B. Zhao, Y. Jiang, X. Lu, M. Hu, C. Zhang, H. Lu, D. Yin, Y. Jiang, X. Lu, H. Wei, J. Zhu, R. Li, and Z. Xu, "Parasitic lasing suppression in high gain femtosecond petawatt Ti:sapphire amplifier," Opt. Exp. 15, 15535-15341 (2007) [CrossRef]
7. V. Yanovsky, V. Chvykov, G. Kalinchenko, P. Rousseau, T. Planchon, T. Matsuoka, A. Maksimchuk, J. Nees, G. Cheriaux, G. Mourou, and K. Krushelnick, "Ultra-high intensity-300-TW laser at 0.1 Hz repetition rate," Opt. Exp. 16, 2109-2114 (2008) [CrossRef]
8. K. Ertel, C. Hooker, S. J. Hawkes, B. T. Parry, and J. L. Collier, "ASE suppression in a high energy titanium sapphire amplifier," Opt. Exp. 16, 8039-8049 (2008) [CrossRef]
9. T. Ditmire, S. Bless, G. Dyer, A. Edens, W. Grigsby, G. Hays, K. Madison, A. Maltsev, J. Colvin, M. J. Edwards, R. W. Lee, P. Patel, D. Price, B. A. Remington, R. Sheppherd, A. Wootton, J. Zweiback, E. Liang, and K. A. Kielty, "Overview of future directions in high energy-density and high-field science using ultra-intense laser," Radiation Physics and Chemistry 70, 535-552 (2004) [CrossRef]
10. N. A. M. Hafz, T. M. Jeong, I. W. Choi, S. K. Lee, K. H. Pae, V. V. Kulagin, J. H. Sung, T. J. Yu, K.-H. Hong, T. Hosokai, J. R. Cary, D.-K. Ko, and J. Lee, "Stable generation of GeV-class electron beams from self-guided laser- plasma channels," Nat. Photonics 2, 571-577 (2008) [CrossRef]
11. H. T. Kim, C.-M Kim, I. W. Choi, H. C. Kang, N. Hafz, S. G. Lee, J. H. Sung, T. J. Yu, K.–H. Hong, T. M. Jeong, Y.-C. Noh, D.-K. Ko, J. Tummler, P. V. Nickles, W. Sandner, K. A. Janulewicz, and J. Lee, "Characteristics of Ni-like silver x-ray laser pumped by single profiled laser pulse," J. Opt. Soc. Am. B 25, 76-84 (2008) [CrossRef]
12. L. M. Frantz and J. S. Nodvik, "Theory of pulse propagation in a laser amplifier," J. Appl. Phys. 34, 2346-2349 (1963) [CrossRef]
13. F. G. Patterson, J. Bonlie, D. Price, and B. White, "Suppression of parasitic lasing in large-aperture Ti:sapphire laser amplifiers," Opt. Lett. 24, 963-965 (1999) [CrossRef]
14. D. Du, X. Liu, G. Korn, J. Squier, and G. Mourou, "Laser-induced breakdown by impact ionization in <TEX>$Sio_2$</TEX> with pulse widths from 7 ns to 150 fs," Appl. Phys. Lett. 64, 3071-3073 (1994) [CrossRef]
15. B. C. Stuart, M. D. Feit, A. M. Rubenchik, B. W. Shore, and M. D. Perry, "Laser-induced damage in dielectrics with nanosecond to subpicosecond pulses," Phys. Rev. Lett. 74, 2248-2251 (1995) [CrossRef]
16. K.-H. Hong, T. J. Yu, J. H. Sung, I. W. Choi, T. M. Jeong, S. K. Lee, Y.-C. Noh, D.-K. Ko, and J. Lee, "Optical damage evaluation of a CPA Ti:sapphire laser for the safe design of a PW system," in Proc. CLEO/PR (Korea, 2007), paper WP 061
17. T. M. Jeong, D.-K. Ko, and J. Lee, "Deformation of the focal spot of an ultrashort high-power laser pulse due to chromatic aberration by a beam expander," J. Korean Phys. Soc. 50, 1767-1773 (2008)

Appl. Phys. Lett.

• D. Du, X. Liu, G. Korn, J. Squier, and G. Mourou, "Laser-induced breakdown by impact ionization in <TEX>$Sio_2$</TEX> with pulse widths from 7 ns to 150 fs," Appl. Phys. Lett. 64, 3071-3073 (1994) [CrossRef]

Applied Physics B: Lasers and Optics

• M. Pittman, S. Ferre, J. P. Rousseau, L. Notebaert, J. P. Chambaret, and G. Cheriaux, "Design and characterization of a near-diffraction-limited femtosecond 100-TW 10-Hz high-intensity laser system," Appl. Phys. B 74, 529-535 (2002) [CrossRef]

in Proc. CLEO/PR

• K.-H. Hong, T. J. Yu, J. H. Sung, I. W. Choi, T. M. Jeong, S. K. Lee, Y.-C. Noh, D.-K. Ko, and J. Lee, "Optical damage evaluation of a CPA Ti:sapphire laser for the safe design of a PW system," in Proc. CLEO/PR (Korea, 2007), paper WP 061

J. Appl. Phys.

• L. M. Frantz and J. S. Nodvik, "Theory of pulse propagation in a laser amplifier," J. Appl. Phys. 34, 2346-2349 (1963) [CrossRef]

JOSA B

• H. T. Kim, C.-M Kim, I. W. Choi, H. C. Kang, N. Hafz, S. G. Lee, J. H. Sung, T. J. Yu, K.–H. Hong, T. M. Jeong, Y.-C. Noh, D.-K. Ko, J. Tummler, P. V. Nickles, W. Sandner, K. A. Janulewicz, and J. Lee, "Characteristics of Ni-like silver x-ray laser pumped by single profiled laser pulse," J. Opt. Soc. Am. B 25, 76-84 (2008) [CrossRef]

Journal of the Korean Physical Society

• T. M. Jeong, D.-K. Ko, and J. Lee, "Deformation of the focal spot of an ultrashort high-power laser pulse due to chromatic aberration by a beam expander," J. Korean Phys. Soc. 50, 1767-1773 (2008)

Nature Photonics

• N. A. M. Hafz, T. M. Jeong, I. W. Choi, S. K. Lee, K. H. Pae, V. V. Kulagin, J. H. Sung, T. J. Yu, K.-H. Hong, T. Hosokai, J. R. Cary, D.-K. Ko, and J. Lee, "Stable generation of GeV-class electron beams from self-guided laser- plasma channels," Nat. Photonics 2, 571-577 (2008) [CrossRef]

Optics Express

• X. Liang, Y. Leng, C. Wang, C. Li, L. Lin, B. Zhao, Y. Jiang, X. Lu, M. Hu, C. Zhang, H. Lu, D. Yin, Y. Jiang, X. Lu, H. Wei, J. Zhu, R. Li, and Z. Xu, "Parasitic lasing suppression in high gain femtosecond petawatt Ti:sapphire amplifier," Opt. Exp. 15, 15535-15341 (2007) [CrossRef]
• V. Yanovsky, V. Chvykov, G. Kalinchenko, P. Rousseau, T. Planchon, T. Matsuoka, A. Maksimchuk, J. Nees, G. Cheriaux, G. Mourou, and K. Krushelnick, "Ultra-high intensity-300-TW laser at 0.1 Hz repetition rate," Opt. Exp. 16, 2109-2114 (2008) [CrossRef]
• K. Ertel, C. Hooker, S. J. Hawkes, B. T. Parry, and J. L. Collier, "ASE suppression in a high energy titanium sapphire amplifier," Opt. Exp. 16, 8039-8049 (2008) [CrossRef]

Optics Letters

• M. Aoyama, K. Yamakawa, Y. Akahane, J. Ma, N. Inoue, H. Ueda, and H. Kiriyama, "0.85-PW, 33-fs Ti:sapphire laser," Opt. Lett. 28, 1594-1596 (2003) [CrossRef]
• F. Ple, M. Pittman, G. Jamelot, and J.-P. Chambaret, "Design and emonstration of a high-energy booster amplifier for a high-repetition rate petawatt class laser system," Opt. Lett. 32, 238-240 (2007) [CrossRef]
• J. P. Chambaret, C. Le Blanc, G. Chériaux, P. Curley, G. Darpentigny, P. Rousseau, G. Hamoniaux, A. Antonetti, and F. Salin, "Generation of 25-TW, 32-fs pulses at 10 Hz," Opt. Lett. 21, 1921-1923 (1996) [CrossRef]
• K. Yamakawa, M. Aoyama, S. Matsuoka, T. Kase, Y. Akahane, and H. Takuma, "100-TW sub-20-fs Ti:sapphire laser system operating at a 10-Hz repetition rate," Opt. Lett. 23, 1468-1470 (1998) [CrossRef]
• F. G. Patterson, J. Bonlie, D. Price, and B. White, "Suppression of parasitic lasing in large-aperture Ti:sapphire laser amplifiers," Opt. Lett. 24, 963-965 (1999) [CrossRef]

Phys. Rev. Lett.

• B. C. Stuart, M. D. Feit, A. M. Rubenchik, B. W. Shore, and M. D. Perry, "Laser-induced damage in dielectrics with nanosecond to subpicosecond pulses," Phys. Rev. Lett. 74, 2248-2251 (1995) [CrossRef]

Radiation Physics and Chemistry

• T. Ditmire, S. Bless, G. Dyer, A. Edens, W. Grigsby, G. Hays, K. Madison, A. Maltsev, J. Colvin, M. J. Edwards, R. W. Lee, P. Patel, D. Price, B. A. Remington, R. Sheppherd, A. Wootton, J. Zweiback, E. Liang, and K. A. Kielty, "Overview of future directions in high energy-density and high-field science using ultra-intense laser," Radiation Physics and Chemistry 70, 535-552 (2004) [CrossRef]

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