Applied Sciences (Mar 2013)

Ultra-Intense, High Spatio-Temporal Quality Petawatt-Class Laser System and Applications

  • Hirofumi Kan,
  • Paul R. Bolton,
  • Shinichi Matsuoka,
  • Akira Sugiyama,
  • Kiminori Kondo,
  • Mitsuru Yamagiwa,
  • Keisuke Nagashima,
  • Masaki Kando,
  • Sergei V. Bulanov,
  • Mamiko Nishiuchi,
  • Yuji Fukuda,
  • Atsushi Kosuge,
  • Hajime Okada,
  • Izuru Daito,
  • Masayuki Suzuki,
  • Koichi Ogura,
  • Hideyuki Kotaki,
  • Yukio Hayashi,
  • Timur Z. Esirkepov,
  • Alexander S. Pirozhkov,
  • Shuhei Kanazawa,
  • Shuji Kondo,
  • Yoshiki Nakai,
  • Manabu Tanoue,
  • Michiaki Mori,
  • Takuya Shimomura,
  • Hiromitsu Kiriyama

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/app3010214
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 3, no. 1
pp. 214 – 250

Abstract

Read online

This paper reviews techniques for improving the temporal contrast and spatial beam quality in an ultra-intense laser system that is based on chirped-pulse amplification (CPA). We describe the design, performance, and characterization of our laser system, which has the potential for achieving a peak power of 600 TW. We also describe applications of the laser system in the relativistically dominant regime of laser-matter interactions and discuss a compact, high efficiency diode-pumped laser system.

Keywords