Abstract

The ability to produce multiterawatt subpicosecond pulses from small scale laser systems makes possible research into a host of strong field phenomena including efficient small scale x-ray lasers and particle accelerators. This research generally requires both high intensity and sufficient energy (a few joules) to produce macroscopic plasmas. Solid state based lasers are ideal for small small-scale systems due to their large saturation fluence relative to gas or dye based Users. In the past few years, the technology chirped pulse amplification has been developed which enables the large stored energy associated with solid state media to be extracted while producing a short pulse at the output.¹

© 1990 Optical Society of America