100-mJ, 100-W cryogenically cooled Yb:YLF laser.

Area of Science:

• Laser Physics
• Ultrafast Optics
• Solid-State Lasers

Background:

• High-energy, ultrashort pulse lasers are crucial for scientific research and technological advancement.
• Developing efficient and scalable laser systems remains a key challenge in ultrafast optics.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a diode-pumped Yb:YLF laser system capable of generating high-energy, sub-picosecond pulses.
• To investigate the performance of a cryogenically cooled amplifier for high average power output.
• To explore the application of the laser system in multi-cycle Terahertz (THz) generation and parametric amplification.

Main Methods:

• Utilized chirped-pulse amplification (CPA) for pulse stretching and recompression.
• Employed a cryogenically cooled (78 K) regenerative, eight-pass booster amplifier.
• Seeded the amplifier with an all-fiber front end for stable pulse generation.
• Compressed the amplified pulses using a single-grating Treacy compressor.

Main Results:

• Achieved 100-mJ pulse energy at a 1-kHz repetition rate, corresponding to 100 W of average power.
• Generated sub-picosecond pulses with a duration of 980 fs.
• Obtained an 89% throughput from the Treacy compressor.

Conclusions:

• The developed Yb:YLF laser system demonstrates a significant advancement in high-energy, ultrashort pulse generation.
• The cryogenic cooling and multi-pass amplification architecture are effective for achieving high average power.
• The laser system is well-suited for applications requiring high-intensity THz radiation and pumping of parametric amplifiers.