Multi-terawatt picoseconds 10-μm СО2 laser system: design and parameters' control

Area of Science:

• Laser Physics
• High-Power Lasers
• Nonlinear Optics

Background:

• Designing multi-terawatt carbon dioxide (CO2) laser systems requires careful consideration of amplifier parameters.
• Previous systems often utilized electro-ionization transversely excited (TE-CO2) lasers.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the fundamental design principles for advanced multi-terawatt CO2 laser systems.
• To evaluate the potential benefits of using a pulsed chemical deuterium fluoride-carbon dioxide (DF-CO2) laser as a final amplifier stage.
• To analyze noise dynamics and contrast ratio in multi-stage amplifier chains.

Main Methods:

• Numerical modeling was employed to evaluate key amplifier parameters.
• Analysis of noise development and contrast ratio dynamics was performed.
• Comparison of pulsed chemical DF-CO2 lasers with electro-ionization TE-CO2 lasers.

Main Results:

• Key amplifier parameters were successfully evaluated through numerical simulations.
• The pulsed chemical DF-CO2 laser demonstrates potential advantages over TE-CO2 lasers for specific applications.
• A system configuration was proposed utilizing a mid-pressure final DF-CO2 laser.

Conclusions:

• The proposed system, featuring a mid-pressure DF-CO2 laser, is capable of generating a single 15-TW, 2.5-ps pulse.
• DF-CO2 lasers present a viable alternative for achieving high-power, short-pulse generation in advanced laser systems.
• Understanding noise dynamics is crucial for optimizing the contrast ratio in high-power laser systems.