Pulse generation and shaping using the ultra-high-power laser system: VULCAN

VULCAN is a multi-beam, multi-terawatt laser facility based on Nd:glass operating at 1053 nm. The system is highly versatile, supplying four experimental areas with laser radiation at a range of pulse durations from 700 fs to 20 ns, at fundamental frequency, frequency doubled, or, as a limited option, frequency tripled wavelengths. Beams are available in a number of geometries dictated by the university based programs, which at present include: cluster; line focus including x-ray laser oscillator/amplifier geometry; backlighting; probing; and chirped pulse amplification (CPA) configurations. The system has eight beams which can deliver synchronized long and short pulses including two beams which can deliver subpicosecond CPA pulses. The CPA capabilities on VULCAN are an integral part of the laser system, not only delivering sub-picosecond pulses, but allowing uncompressed pulses and multi-pulses to be delivered to the target areas synchronized with the nanosecond pulses. This paper describes the system configuration, details the means of pulse synchronization and presents some of the pulse manipulation techniques used on VULCAN to provide the laser requirements for the experimental program

High contrast multi-terawatt pulse generation using chirped pulse amplification on the VULCAN laser facility

High power (8 TW), ultra-short (2.4 ps), pulses have been generated using chirped pulse amplification techniques on the VULCAN Nd: glass laser. A novel oscillator was developed as a driver producing ≈ ps pulses at 105 nm. The oscillator output was stretched prior to amplification and compressed at an aperture of 150 mm. The contrast ratio obtained was ≈ 106, which is suitable for laser plasma interaction studies. © 1993