Abstract

The main benefit of chirped pulse amplification is that very-high-peak power lasers have become laboratory tools. The emphasis in this area has continued to be higher peak power in a more compact form. One major improvement has been the use of tunable solid-state materials for amplifying shorter pulses which was first demonstrated in flashlamp-pumped alexandrite.¹ Another decrease in size and improvement in stability has been achieved by going to laser pumping which was first demonstrated in Ti:sapphire pumped by frequency-doubled Nd:YAG.² Further dramatic improvement in peak power has recently been accomplished by amplifying shorter pulses in this type of system.³

© 1995 Optical Society of America