Abstract

We have performed multiphoton ionization experiments on rare gases using the T³ laser, a high intensity laser which uses chirped pulse amplification to generate 1-ps pulses with energies of several hundred millijoules. With f/4 optics the fundamental 1053-nm wavelength can be focused to peak intensities in the mid-10¹⁶-W/cm² range. The frequency-doubted laser light at 527 nm has been focused to 3 X 10¹⁶ W/cm².

© 1989 Optical Society of America