Open AccessHigh-energy, high-contrast, double-confocal multipass amplifier
Author(s) -
J. Wojtkiewicz,
Charles G. Durfee
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
optics express
Language(s) - Uncategorized
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.394
H-Index - 271
ISSN - 1094-4087
DOI - 10.1364/opex.12.001383
Subject(s) - optics , amplifier , collimated light , materials science , confocal , beam (structure) , optical amplifier , optoelectronics , physics , laser , cmos
We have developed a high-contrast, high-beam-quality Ti:sapphire amplifier producing pulses of 10 mJ in a single stage with 19% efficiency. The amplifier has a double-confocal multipass ring configuration that allows for a large mode volume by use of a collimated beam in the gain medium. We have designed the amplifier optics to correct for aberrations and for spatial gain narrowing. The compressed output beam has an M(2) of 1.15. The use of an internal saturable absorber in the amplifier results in an intensity contrast of ~10(9). We anticipate this design will be useful to extend the multipass architecture to low-gain media and to still higher output energy.