Petawatt OPCPA Lasers: Status and Perspectives

V.V.Lozhkarev, G.I.Freidman, V.N.Ginzburg, E.V.Katin, E.A.Khazanov, A.V.Kirsanov, G.A.Luchinin, A.N.Mal'shakov, M.A.Martyanov,

O.V.Palashov, A.K.Poteomkin, A.M.Sergeev, A.A.Shaykin and I.V.YakovlevInstitute of Applied Physics Russian Academy of Science

Introduction• Compact 0.56 PW laser system• Scalability to multi-petawatt power

Conclusion

Introduction. OPCPA vs CPA

Advantages of OPCPA:+ broad gain bandwidth + high aperture + considerable decrease in thermal loading + significantly lower level of ASE + very high gain+ no self-lasing+ no backscattering from a target

Disadvantages of OPCPA:− high precision synchronization− high quality of a pump beam− short (1ns) pump pulse duration

488 ( 1.5 )4 (5)Number of PWs from 1 kJ 1ω Nd

0.56 PWIAP 2006

0.85 PWJAEA 2004

1.3 PWLLNL, 1997

Maximum power obtained, PW

2ω Nd2ω NdnoPump

101580Efficiency (1ω Nd →фс), %2020150Minimum duration, fs

40х401040х40Amplifier aperture, cm1<30noPump duration, ns

Nd:glassNd:glassNd:glassEnergy source

KD*PTi:sapphireNd:glassGain medium

type IIItype IItype I

Introduction. Petawatt laser systems

Diffraction grating damage threshold Ti:sapphire damage threshold

Physics of OPCPA. KD*P vs KDP.

0

300

600

900

1200

1500

1800

750 850 950 1050 1150 1250 1350

signal wavelength, nm

FWH

M o

f gai

n sp

ectr

a, c

m-1

(line

s)

0

0,05

0,1

0,15

0,2

0,25

0,3

0,35

ordi

nary

wav

e ab

sorb

tion,

cm

-1 (d

ots)

KD*P bandwidth KD P bandwidth KD*P absorption KDP absorption

generated phase matching

λsignal=2λpump=1053nm

superbroadbandphasematching

V.V.Lozhkarev, G.I.Freidman, V.N.Ginzburg, E.A.Khazanov, О.V.Palashov, A.M.Sergeev, I.V.Yakovlev. Laser Physics, 15, 1319 (2005).

KD*P≡DKDP

nmnmnm 12501

9111

5271

+=

Petawatt OPCPA Lasers: Status and Perspectives

Introduction to PW lasers • Compact 0.56 PW laser system• Scalability to multi-petawatt power

Conclusion

Freidman G., Andreev N., Ginzburg V., Katin E., Khazanov E., Lozhkarev V., Palashov O., S A Y k l I P SPIE 4630 135 146 2002

Compact 0.56 PW laser system. Architecture

Second phase (PW level)

38J0.5ns Compressor

0.5ns → 50fs2ωNd:glass

amplifier

300J1ns

170J1ns 24J

43fsOPA III

KD*P10cm dia

2ω

Cr:Forsteritefs-laser

λ=1250nm

Stretcher40 fs → 0.5ns

2nJ40 fs 1nJ

0.5 nsNd:YLFQ-switch laserλ=1053nm

1 J1.5ns

Synchronizationsystem

Two-stageNd:YLFamplifier

First phase (TW level)

50 mJ50 fs2 Hz

OPA IKD*P

Compressor0.5 ns → 50 fs

λ=911nm0.8mJ0.5ns

2J1.5 ns

OPA IIKD*P

CW Yb:fiber pump 10W

λ=1050…1080nm

λ=1250nm λ=911 nm50 mJ0.5 ns

1mJ1.5ns

10mJ12nc

Pulse shaper

input beam shaping

spatial filters

self-focusing suppression

laser heads

self-excitation suppression

second harmonic generation

Compact 0.56 PW laser system. Key elements of tabletop 300 J Nd:glass laser

λ/4

polarizer

Nd:YLF1054 nm

1 J to pumpOPA I, II

2ω

λ/4

180 J to pumpOPA III

Faraday softaperture

10mm dia. Nd:glass

30mm dia. Nd:glass

60mm dia. Nd:glass85mm dia. Nd:glass

100mm dia. Nd:glass

2ω

λ/2

KDP

spatial filter

100mm dia. Nd:glass

λ/4

spatial filter

Martyanov M. A., Khazanov E.A. , Poteomkin A. K.,

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

0

0.1

0.2

0.3

0.4

0.5

0.6

0.7

0.8

0.9

1

50 μrad2.44λ/D=21μrad

90мм

300J, 1ns

Compact 0.56 PW laser system. Nd:glass laser output beam

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

0 30 60 90 120 150 180Pump pulse energy, J

Effic

ienc

y, %

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

Out

put p

ulse

ene

rgy,

J

Efficiency, %

Pulse energy. J

0

0.1

0.2

0.3

0.4

0.5

0.6

0.7

0.8

0.9

1

25μrad2.44λ/D=21μrad

Compact 0.56 PW laser system. Energy characteristics of final OPCPA

38 J

0

0.25

0.5

0.75

1

-200 -150 -100 -50 0 50 100 150 200time, fs

AC

F, a

.u.

ACF experiment

ACF of 33fs FTL pulse

Compact 0.56 PW laser system. Compressed pulse

24 J /43 fs=0.56 PW Contrast: 108 (0.5ns window)104 (1ps window)

Lozhkarev V.V., Freidman G.I., Ginzburg V.N., Katin E.V., Khazanov E.A., Kirsanov A.V., Luchinin G.A., Mal'shakov A.N., Martyanov M.A., Palashov O.V., Poteomkin A.K., Sergeev A.M., Shaykin A.A., Yakovlev I.V. Laser Physics Letters 4 421-427 (2007)

0.001

0.01

0.1

1

10

100

1000

10000

1991 1996 2001 2006year

lase

r pow

er, T

W

Vilnius U., Lithuania

Rutherford Lab, UK

SIOM, China

Rochester, USA

LLNL , USA

IAP, Russia

LLNL , USA

Rutherford Lab, UK

ILE, Japan

JAEA, Japan

SIOM, China

Texas U., USA

0.56 PW

CPA

Compact 0.56 PW laser system. Compressed pulse

Petawatt OPCPA Lasers: Status and Perspectives

Introduction to PW lasers • Compact 0.56 PW laser system • Scalability to multi-petawatt power

Conclusion

Scalability to multi-petawatt power.Routes to increase power and contrast

POWER:+ Pulse duration: x3 (15fs instead of 45fs)+ OPCPA efficiency: x2 (40% instead of 20%)+ Pump power x1.3: (230J instead of 180J)+ Compressor efficiency x1.2 (79% instead of 66%)

TOTAL: x11 ( 6PW instead of 0.56PW )

CONTRAST: Second harmonic generation in KDP crystal

theory (includes self-focusing) predicts high efficiencycrystal 100mm diameter and 0.5mm thickness was grown experiments are coming soon

Scalability to multi-petawatt power.Four started projects.

VNIIEF (Sarov) + IAP , Russia, 2005-2008, 3PW OPCPA

Rutherford Lab, UK, 2007-2011, 10PW OPCPA

НiPER, pan-European, 2008-2018, 150PW / 2000PW OPCPA

ELI, pan-European, 2008-2020 200PW OPCPA or Ti:sapphire

Scalability to multi-petawatt power.Sarov – N.Novgorod.

Second phase (PW level)38J0.5ns Compressor

0.5ns → 50fs2ωNd:glass

amplifier

300J1ns

180J1ns 24J

43fsOPA III

KD*P10cm dia

2ω

Cr:Forsteritefs-laser

λ=1250nm

Stretcher40 fs → 0.5ns

2nJ40 fs 1nJ

0.5 nsNd:YLFQ-switch laserλ=1053nm

1 J1.5ns

Synchronizationsystem

Two-stageNd:YLFamplifier

First phase ( TW level)32 mJ70 fs2 Hz

OPA IKD*P

Compressor0.5 ns → 70 fs

λ=911nm0.8mJ0.5ns

2J1.5 ns

OPA IIKD*P

CW Yb:fiber pump 10W

λ=1050…1080nm

λ=1250nm

λ=911 nm70 mJ0.5 ns

1mJ1.5ns

10mJ12nc

Pulse shaper

Third phase ( 2 PW)

2ωNd:glassamplifier

2kJ1.5ns

1kJ1.5ns

150J0.5ns

100J50fs

Compressor0.5ns → 50fs

OPA IVKD*P

20cm dia

Nd:YLFQ-switch laserλ=1053nm

10mJ12nc

Pulse shaper Nd:YLFamplifier

0

25

50

75

100

0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200

Pump energy, J

chirp

ed p

ulse

ene

rgy,

J

Scalability to multi petawatt power.Sarov – N.Novgorod.

I.A. Belov, O.A. et al. Petawatt laser system of the "Luch" facilityInternational Conference X Khariton's Scientific Reading p 145 (2008)

55fs 600TWOctober,2008

??fsNovember, 2008

2.44 λ/D = 12.2 μrad

OPCPA gain =35

Peak efficiency = 38%

Conclusion

25μrad

#1. OPCPA at 910 nm in DKDP is the best. No question.

#2. There is only one question.Q.: The best or one of the best?A1: See message #1.A2: Will live and see.

After conclusion…Let’s think about laser ceramics!

Cr:YAG ceramics

very wide aperture to amplify chirped pulses to the multikilojoule level,

high conversion efficiency of narrow band Nd:glass laser pulses into chirped pulses,

large gain bandwidth to amplify chirped pulses with less than 20 fs durations

Е.А.Khazanov, А.M.Sergeev. Laser Physics, 2007.

Nd,Yb:Re2O3 ceramics (Re=Y,Lu,Sc)

1. Very wide aperture to amplify chirped pulses to the multikilojoulelevel

2. Large gain bandwidth to amplify chirped pulses with less than 50 fsdurations

3. High conversion efficiency due to direct lamp pumping (lamps pump Ndand excitation transfers to Yb)

Е.А.Khazanov, А.M.Sergeev. UFN, 2008.

Compact 0.56 PW laser system. Electon acceleration (preliminary results)

drive pulse 1, vacuum tract 2, flat mirror 3, offdrive pulse 1, vacuum tract 2, flat mirror 3, off--axis axis parabola 4, gas jet 5, foil partition 6, LANEX screen 7, parabola 4, gas jet 5, foil partition 6, LANEX screen 7, CCD camera with vacuum window 8, probe pulse 9, CCD camera with vacuum window 8, probe pulse 9, delay line10, mirror 11, microscopic objective12, wedge delay line10, mirror 11, microscopic objective12, wedge 13 CCD13 CCD cameracamera

Electrons energy spectrum,Numerical simulation

Compact 0.56 PW laser system. 120mm clear aperture ОPA

300 J1054 nmpump pulse

38J to compressor (911nm)

OPA 120 mm clear aperture SHG

From front-end system (911nm)

300 J1054 nm

To diagnostic

OPA 3

SHG 910 nm

180 J527 nm

Scalability to 100(s) petawatt power

0

0.5

1

1000 1200 1400 1600 1800 2000wave length, nm

spec

tra,

a.u

.

Cr:YAGCr:YSGGCr:YAG+Cr:YSGG

18 fs pulse: Ripin D.J., Chudoba C., Gopinath J.T., Fujimoto J.G., Ippen E.P., Morgner U., Kartner F.X., Scheuer V., Angelow G., Tschudi T. // Optics Letters, 27, 61-63, 2002.

Cr4+:YAG ceramics (CPA)Crazy ideas are welcome!

10488 ( 1.5 )4.5 (5)Number of PWs from 1 kJ 1ω Nd

10-100.56IAP 2006

0.85JAEA 2004

1.3LLNL, 1997

Maximum power obtained, PW

1ω Nd2ω Nd2ω NdnoPump

25101580Efficiency (1ω Nd →фс), %202020150Minimum duration, fs

>5040х40840х40Amplifier aperture, cm<301<30noPump duration, ns

Nd:glassNd:glassNd:glassNd:glassEnergy source

Cr:YAGceramics

DKDPTi:saphireNd:glassGain medium

type IVtype IIItype IItype I

Scalability to multi-petawatt power.Crazy ideas are welcome!

Рис 1

20kr

2kr

3kr

10kr

13ϕ

( )Ωϕ12

1vr

2vr

12ϕ

Z

Physics of OPCPA. Wideband phase-matching

213 ωωω +=

( )( )tt

202

101

ΩωωΩωω

−=

+=

( )( ) ( ) 0

x32x2

zkk

kkrr⋅=

=

ΩΔΩΔ

ω

( ) )(021)0( 32

22

2

21

221 Ω−Ω⎟⎟

⎠

⎞⎜⎜⎝

⎛+−Ω⎟

⎠⎞

⎜⎝⎛ +−Δ≡ΩΔ

ωωωω dkd

dkd

ddk

ddkkk zz

=0 super-wideband phase-matching

12cos21 ϕ⋅= gVgV

=0 wideband phase-matching

0=

phase-matching

)0()0( 213 kkk +=