Thin-disk Multipass Amplifier for 100 mJ Class, Multi-kW High Intensity Lasers

Abstract

We present a thin-disk multipass amplifier as a power-scaling architecture for ultrafast ps and fs lasers. The system is industrially stable and supports burst functionality. Only minimal CPA is needed.

Photonic shaping tools for large-scale micro-machining

“…Following amplifier stages try to maintain the beam quality of their seed's often specified as "diffraction-limited" when the beam propagation ratio, or M 2 parameter, 20 is smaller than ∼ 1.3. 4,21,22 Determining the "quality" 23 of the laser source from a standardized M 2 -measurement procedure, see ISO 11146-1/2/3 20 ensures the comparability of beam qualities of different laser architectures. 24,25 Comparability, on the other hand, comes at the expense of describing a complex optical field with a few representative parameters only (M 2 factor, intrinsic astigmatism and twist parameter).…”

Optical tools for laser machining along six orders of magnitude

“…For example, there is constant news about extreme power and energy records for ultrashort laser systems. [4][5][6] Even considering industrial availability, in the near future, ∼ 100 mJ-class lasers operating in the multi-kilowatt-regime providing subpicosecond pulses will be available. 6 Here, similar to the cw lasers mentioned above, radiation has reached such extreme levels that useful applications will always require additional tools to trigger a specific light-matter-interaction.…”

Phase retrieval algorithm applied to high-energy ultrafast lasers

“…There is constant news about extreme power and energy records for ultrafast laser systems in various amplifier architectures [1][2][3]. Even considering industrial availability, in the near future, ∼ 100 mJclass lasers operating in the multi-kilowatt-regime providing subpicosecond pulses will be available [3].…”

“…There is constant news about extreme power and energy records for ultrafast laser systems in various amplifier architectures [1][2][3]. Even considering industrial availability, in the near future, ∼ 100 mJclass lasers operating in the multi-kilowatt-regime providing subpicosecond pulses will be available [3]. One of the main applications of these light sources is high-intensity laser-matter interaction for the ef-ficient generation of short wavelength electromagnetic radiation or particle acceleration [4][5][6].…”

“…This, of course, results in a loss of information which is essential for the design of optical concepts. For example, a typical specification for a "near-diffraction-limited" beam quality for a high-power ultrafast laser source is M 2 ≲ 1.3 [2,3]. The reasons for a beam quality degradation in this marginal range can nevertheless be manifold and may, for example, consist of low power amounts of spatial modes of higher order [20], wavefront aberrations [21] or amplitude perturbations [16].…”