High-energy, spatially flat-top green pump laser by beam homogenization for petawatt scale Ti:sapphire laser systems

• Published in: Optics communications Vol. 282; no. 22; pp. 4401 - 4403
• Main Authors: Tanaka, Momoko, Kiriyama, Hiromitsu, Ochi, Yoshihiro, Nakai, Yoshiki, Sasao, Hajime, Okada, Hajime, Daido, Hiroyuki, Bolton, Paul, Kawanishi, Shunichi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 15.11.2009; Elsevier
• Subjects: Diffractive optical element; Doped-insulator lasers and other solid state lasers; Exact sciences and technology; Fundamental areas of phenomenology (including applications); High-energy green laser; Laser beam homogenization; Lasers; Nd:glass laser; Optics; Physics; 42.55.Rz; 42.60.Jf; Laser beam homogenization; Diffractive optical element; High-energy green laser; Nd:glass laser; Doped materials; Laser beams; Single pulse; Pulsed lasers; Titanium additions; Green lasers; Diffractive optics; Second harmonic; Solid state lasers; Diffractive optical elements; Neodymium lasers
• ISSN: 0030-4018; 1873-0310
• DOI: 10.1016/j.optcom.2009.07.064

We have demonstrated that we can homogenize the spatial profile of a high-energy green laser pulse used for pumping a petawatt scale Ti:sapphire amplifier. The second harmonic of a high-energy, large aperture Nd:glass laser system generates laser emission at a green wavelength with 75 J single pulse energy. Using a diffractive optical element for beam homogenization, we have obtained a highly spatially uniform flat-top second harmonic profile.