A latest results obtained in THL-100 hybrid femtosecond laser system operating in the visible spectral range are presented and the ways of the peak power increase of the laser beam are discussed.
The effect of astigmatism on laser air filamentation was studied numerically and experimentally. Limited supply of energy to the filament is shown to be the main feature of aberrational focusing, which facilitated the organization of quasi-solitons in the post-filament region. Quasi-solitons are realized due to the balance between linear diffraction and Kerr nonlinearity in the presence of background environment around zones with increased intensity. A highly directional SC of visible light is formed outside the visible filament zone in the resulting spatial quasi-solitons.
One way to obtain a multi-terawatt laser beams in the visible spectrum rang is direct amplification of the pulse in the output amplifier. Such method is being developed in IHCE SB RAS based on THL-100 hybrid laser system. This system uses solid-state and gas active media, namely: Ti:Sa femtosecond front-end and photodissociative XeF(C-A) amplifier. The front-end generates a transform-limited radiation pulse of 50 fs duration or a positive-chirped 50 ps pulse (FWHM) on second harmonic (475 nm). The XeF(C-A) amplifier can amplify the energy of front-end pulse up to 2-3 J. A compressor is required to recompress the amplified 50 ps radiation pulse to the transform-limited pulse duration. In this paper, we present the calculated parameters of the compressor based on the diffraction gratings and experimental data of the output radiation pulse compression of the front-end. The compressor optics scheme, its parameters and adjustment technique are presented. The compressing possibility of 50 ps second harmonic pulse to a duration of 75 fs in the grating compressor at a pulse energy of 7 mJ and a 1 cm beam diameter are demonstrated.
The results of formation conditions studies of a highly directional supercontinuum (SC) in a visible spectrum range obtained upon aberration spherical-mirror focusing of a radiation pulse with a wavelength of 940 nm, duration of 70 fs, and energy of 8–15 mJ are presented. It is shown that after visible filament there are two directed white light beams diverging relative to each other at an angle of 1.40 . Formation every light beam occurs through a gradual conversion of the spectral composition from long wavelength to short wavelength (to 350 nm) in a spatially stable structure similar to a soliton with a transverse dimension ≤ 300 μm. The nature of the appearance these beams is due to formation of two zones with higher intensity before meridional plate owing to the distortion of the wavefront of the laser beam in conditions of the astigmatism and the Kerr effect. In result two minima in the phase distribution located outside the beam axis are realized, which lead to the appearance of two off-axis areas with higher radiation intensity and as a consequence of this the formation of two highly directional laser beams.
The results of multiterawatt laser beam formation of a visible range in THL-100 hybrid laser system based on titanium-sapphire front-end and photochemical XeF(C-A) boosting amplifier are presented. The front-end delivers at the second harmonic centered around 475 nm up to 20 mJ energy in 50 fs and to 7 mJ in 50 ps pulses. The active medium of the XeF(C-A) amplifier is produced in a XeF2/N2 mixture irradiated by the VUV radiation from electron beam excited xenon. The laser system is described and the latest results are presented.
The results of the formation and amplification of positive chirped 0.1 ns laser pulse at a central wavelength of 470 nm in the laser system THL-100 are presented. It is shown that a front-end allows forming a radiation pulse with a Gaussian intensity profile and the energy up to 7 mJ. At amplification in XeF(C-A) amplifier of the pulse with 2-5 mJ energy a saturated mode is realized and 3.2 J output laser beam energy is reached.
Evolution of spatial and energy characteristics start pulse with energy of 0.8 mJ in duration of 2 ps in the XeF(С-A) amplifier of THL-100 laser system have been studied experimentally and by numerical simulation. Laser radiation energy E = 2 J was obtained experimentally. In that work we present the 3D-model amplification of conically diverging laser beams, that takes into account the spatial inhomogeneity of the pump, and the geometry of THL-100 laser system amplifier. Description and the test results of the model are submitted. At the start pulse energy 0.8 mJ, the calculated radiation energy at the XeF(С-A) output reaches 2.4 J. Simulation results shows that, maximal intensity of the laser radiation in this mode reaches P = 60 GW/cm2. The evolution of the energy and space-time structure of the laser beam in the amplifier was investigated. It is shown that in the ideal case (excluding the processes of nonlinear interaction of laser beam with an active medium), at the start pulse energy of 5 mJ, the energy of the laser radiation at the output of the amplifier is increased to Eout = 3.8 J. In this mode, the maximal radiation intensity reaches a value of I = 148 GW/cm2.
The experimental results of the inversion population mechanisms study in the resonant electronic transition B3Πg–A3Σu+ of nitrogen ions by optically pumped of air and pure nitrogen by femtosecond laser pulse at a wavelength of 950 nm are presented. It is shown that the inversion results from selective settling of N2+(B2Σu+, v' =0) excited state by multiphoton excitation of the autoionization states of the nitrogen molecule with energy of 18.7 eV. Seed photon for superradiance at transitions of molecular nitrogen ions are photons the axial supercontinuum occurring in the filament on the respective wavelengths. The mode of the superradiance at a wavelength λ = 358.4 nm referred to the transition of the CN molecules was realized.
The paper presents the results of theoretical and experimental studies of the second harmonic generation process in the Ti:sapphire femtosecond complex, which includes a generator of the femtosecond pulse, stretcher, regenerative amplifier, two multi-pass amplifiers, compressor and second-harmonic generator. This complex provides the 50-fs pulses with energy of 20 mJ and it is used as a master oscillator in THL-100 hybrid laser system, which operates in the visible region at a wavelength of 475 nm. Experiments and calculations for various beam parameters of the fundamental harmonic, such as radiation intensity, spatial profile of the beam and the level of the noise component were performed. It is theoretically shown that in the absence of the noise component in the beam of the fundamental wave a good uniformity of the second harmonic should be observed. When making the amplitude heterogeneities in the first harmonic even greater heterogeneities in the second harmonic are appeared. It is experimentally shown that with increasing of energy beam the inhomogeneity of the second harmonic beam increases.
The influence of the optical inhomogeneities effect of the prism stretcher elements on the spatial, angular and spectral parameters of the transmitted radiation and the degree of change in the phase aberrations of the laser beam during its propagation in the stretcher are studied. It is shown that the prism material does not allow transmitting of a required diameter of 75 mm without linear distortions of the beam. The maximum intensity and beam diameter allowing to amplify the picosecond pulses in XeF(C-A) amplifier are determined.
Results of experimental measurements and numerical simulations of the N2 and XeF2 gas pressure effects on the gain characteristics are presented in the paper. It is experimentally and theoretically is shown that maximum total gain (5-6)×104 achieved at a pump energy E = 240 J, 0.2 Torr XeF2 and 0.5 atm N2 pressure. Increasing and decreasing of N2 pressure leads to decrease of the gain. The possibility of the XeF(C-A) amplifier operation in a generator mode is discussed and the theoretical study results of generation are presented. It is shown that an annular laser radiation with energy up to 8.5 J can be obtained. The study results of the influence on the laser energy of N2 and XeF2 pressure and reflectance coefficient of output mirror are presented.
The design and characterization of a THL-100 multi-terawatt hybrid laser system based on a Start-480M titaniumsapphire
starting complex and photochemical XeF(C-A) amplifier with a 25-cm aperture are described. The first
experiments results are presented. A laser beam peak power of 14 TW at 475 nm wavelength has been attained.
Terawatt hybrid (solid state/gas) laser (THL-100) system on the basis of Ti:sapphire starting complex (50 fs, 5 mJ)
and photochemical XeF(C-A) amplifier with the aperture of 24 cm is presented. Laser system is built at Institute of High
Current Electronics SD RAS, Tomsk, Russia. The design and peculiarities of optical pumping of XeF(C-A) amplifier,
methods of pump power measuring, gain distribution across the active volume are discussed. The results of numerical
modeling of the output parameters simulation are presented and one compared with first experimental results.
Terawatt hybrid laser (THL-100) system on the basis of Ti:sapphire starting complex and final amplifier with
gaseous optically driven active media on XeF(C-A) molecules is presented. Laser system is built at Institute of High
Current Electronics SB RAS, Tomsk, Russia. It consists of Ti:sapphire starting complex and photochemical XeF(C-A)
amplifier. The active media of amplifier pumped by VUV radiation has 24 cm aperture and 110 cm length. The results
of numerical modeling of the output parameters and first experimental results are presented in this paper.
A high power accelerator for photolytically pumped XeF (C-A) short pulse amplifier is described. The 450 keV, 250 ns (FWHM) radial e-beam is injected into cylindrical 30 cm diameter gas chamber through the 15×120 cm four foil windows. Total energy of e-beam penetrated foils is 3.7 kJ. E-beam pumped energy absorbed in argon (3 bar) is about 3 kJ.
Results of experimental and theoretical investigations of discharge XeCl laser with 35 ns (FWHM) radiation pulse
duration are presented. Laser generates the laser pulse energy of O.6 J with 2% total electric efficiency and 100 Hz pulse
repetition rate. Calculated laser radiation parameters and discharge parameters have a good agreement with experimental
results. Influence of basic plasma-chemical processes in discharge on laser output and efficiency is shown. Maximal
laser efficiency relatively pumping power was 3.5%.
The construction of XeCl laser excited by e-beam is described and its radiation parameters are presented. Laser distinguishes from others lasers having similar radiation energy by the small weight and dimensions. Laser excitation fulfills the electron accelerator on base Marx generator with vacuum isolation. The experiments were performed using a gas mixture of Ar-Xe-HCl with pressure of 2-3 bar. A plane-plane lasers optical cavity was used. 120 J output with optical pulse duration ~250 ns (FWHM) on a wavelength of 308 nm have been extracted from 25 cm laser aperture. The heterogeneity of laser intensity distribution was within the limits of 10%.
Influence of the discharge burning conditions on output radiation parameters and overall performance of a discharge pumped XeCl laser with pump pulse duration of 20 ns is experimentally investigated. It is shown that a 3.9 J/l•atm maximal specific output laser energy from the active medium is realized in the discharge consisting of the
strongly pronounced macro heterogeneities. Laser efficiency of a 2.7 % is reached at discharge current density of a 1.2-1.4 kA/cm2.
Output radiation performances of XeCl laser with 10x10x80 cm3 active medium dimensions depending on pumping circuit parameters, intensity and uniformity of preionization have been researched. It was shown that radiation pulse duration and accordingly discharge uniformity depend first of all from preionization homogeneity and not from its intensity.
A 250 J/210 ns four-stage XeCl laser system named Photons has been developed. Five lasers in MOPA chains characterized by different pumping techniques are described. Also, the main experimental results of the Photons are given.
A four-stage XeCl laser system named Photons has been developed for studying laser interaction with materials. The Photons are outlined and preliminary results characterizing the system are given. The master oscillator Photon-1 can provide “seed” light with laser energy of about 40mJ, pulse duration of about 250ns and good beam quality of nearly diffraction-limited divergence angle and narrow line width less than 1 cm-1 for whole system. The output energy of laser system of 251J has been obtained by four-stage amplification. The synchronization among five lasers is realized by the combination of low voltage timer, high voltage synchronic generators and compensated cables. The demonstration shows Photons good operation with low jitter of less than ±20ns.
Output radiation performances of XeCl laser having 5.5 1 active medium volume depending on electric circuit parameters, intensity and uniformity of preionization are researched. The maximum output radiation energy of 7 J and pulse duration of 160 ns were obtained only in the presence of modulation of discharge current. It is shown that first of all laser efficiency depend on preionization homogeneity and not from its intensity. The largest laser output realized only in case the small percentage of Xe in gas mixture (≤0.25%).
An experomental study of stimulated Raman conversion of high-coherent XeCl laser radiation in H2 has been carried out. About 50 vibrational-rotational components were realized with a circularly polarized laser beam pump. High spatial and temporal coherence of conversed radiation was obtained. Quantum efficiency of conversion in first vibrational Stokes was achieved 95%.
Formation of a diffraction limited divergence and obtaining a high contrast of radiation in electric-discharge XeCl laser system due to SBS are investigated. Possibility of a correction of laser beam wave-front distortion on an astigmatic and a spherical aberrations and on a refractive coefficient non-uniformity in optics elements and atmosphere is shown. Correction of laser beam wave-front having the 20- fold distortion of diffraction limited angle using phase- conjugate Brillouin mirror allowed to obtain the initial angle of 2 X 10-5 rad divergence of laser beam. Use the threshold conditions of Brillouin scattering allowed to increase the XeCl laser radiation contrast from Pgen/Pnoise approximately 4 up to Pgen/Pnoise equals 106 - 107.
KEYWORDS: Optical amplifiers, Laser systems engineering, Oscillators, Diffraction, High power lasers, Gas lasers, Excimers, Molecules, Optical components, Amplifiers
High power XeCl laser system and experimental results of diffraction limited laser beam amplification are described. Beyond the preamplifier, the 5 cm X 6 cm laser beam contained 50% of the radiation energy in the diffraction core. At the output from the system an irradiation brightness of 2 X 1014 W/cm-2cr-1 was obtained. Minimum divergence near 0.05 mrad of output beam was restricted to turbulence of air and optics elements. A numerical model of the amplification of the radiation, taking onto account the influence of the amplified spontaneous emission, was developed.
KEYWORDS: Optical pumping, Laser energy, Hydrogen fluoride lasers, Plasma, Energy efficiency, Diodes, Chemical lasers, Electron beams, Ions, Gas lasers
The results of experimental and theoretical investigations on a pulsed, chemical e-beam pumped, non-chain HF laser with a 25 I active volume are submitted. It is shown that there are conditions of anomalous behavior of the output radiation which could be explained by the existence of a space-charge effect in the plasma.
The experimental research results of an laser radiation in excimer lasers and laser systems with output aperture up to 25 X 25 cm2 and output laser energy up to 200 J is described. The laser beam divergence 0.01 mrad have been obtained. The problems of the diffraction limited divergence formation of laser beam are discussed.
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