Survey of spatio-temporal couplings throughout high-power ultrashort lasers.

The investigation of spatio-temporal couplings (STCs) of broadband light beams is becoming a key topic for the optimization as well as applications of ultrashort laser systems. This calls for accurate measurements of STCs. Yet, it is only recently that such complete spatio-temporal or spatio-spectral characterization has become possible, and it has so far mostly been implemented at the output of the laser systems, where experiments take place.

Towards subpicosecond pulses from solid target plasma based seeded soft X-ray laser.

We investigate the coherence of plasma-based soft X-ray laser (XRL) for different conditions that can alter the electron density in the gain region. We first measure the source temporal coherence in amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) mode. We develop a data analysis procedure to extract both its spectral width and pulse duration.

One long and two short pumping pulses control for plasma x-ray amplifier optimization.

Development of efficient soft x-ray laser plasma amplifiers adapted to seeded operation, requires a better control over amplifier transverse spatial extent, brilliance control and gain lifetime. Here it is shown that pumping the plasma amplifier with one long and two short pump pulses (1L2S) provides advantages in terms of control for the specified parameters in the case of Ni-like Ag x-ray laser. Also, significant tunability of the gain lifetime in the 1L2S pumping scheme for Ne-like Ti x-ray laser is observed.

Q-switched laser-assisted grazing incidence pumping (QAGRIP) for efficient soft x-ray laser generation.

We have investigated a new scheme for laser plasma transient collisional soft x-ray lasers based on the use of an additional laser to produce the preplasma. Soft x-ray emission measurements made for different solid targets are presented and discussed. A significant enhancement of the SXRL emission as compared to double-pulse single-beam grazing incidence (DGRIP) using the same pump laser is reported for 13.

Thin film beam splitter multiple short pulse generation for enhanced Ni-like Ag x-ray laser emission.

An alternative, novel multiple pulse generation scheme was implemented directly after the optical compressor output of an x-ray pump laser. The new method uses a polarization sensitive thin film beam splitter and a half-wavelength wave plate for tuning the energy ratio in the multiple short pulses. Based on this method, an extensive study was made of the running parameters for a grazing incidence pumped silver x-ray laser (XRL) pumped with a long pulse of 145 mJ in 6 ns at 532 nm and up to 1.

Optimization of a tabletop high-repetition-rate soft x-ray laser pumped in double-pulse single-beam grazing incidence.

This Letter reports on the optimization of a tabletop nickel-like molybdenum transient collisionally excited soft x-ray laser (SXRL) at 18.9 nm performed by a double-pulse single-beam grazing incidence pumping (DGRIP). This scheme allows for the first time, to our knowledge, the full control of the pump laser parameters including the pre-pulse duration optimally generating the SXRL amplifier under a grazing incidence.

Design and demonstration of a high-energy booster amplifier for a high-repetition rate petawatt class laser system.

We have successfully developed a high-energy, high-repetition rate Ti:sapphire laser system that delivers 33 J before compression at 0.1 Hz. The final booster amplifier is based on a 100 mm diameter Ti:sapphire crystal pumped with 72 J of energy in six beams delivered by three frequency-doubled high-repetition rate Nd:glass lasers.