TY - JOUR
T1 - Characterizing post-compression of mJ-level ultrafast pulses via loose focusing in a gas cell
AU - Zhang, Fengling
AU - Pelekanidis, Antonios
AU - Karpavicius, Augustas
AU - Gouder, Matthias
AU - Seifert, Jacob
AU - Eikema, Kjeld
AU - Witte, Stefan
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2024 Optica Publishing Group under the terms of the Optica Open Access Publishing Agreement.
PY - 2024/11/4
Y1 - 2024/11/4
N2 - The ability to generate high-intensity ultrashort laser pulses is a key driver for advancing the strong-field physics and its applications. Post-compression methods aim to increase the peak intensity of amplified laser pulses via spectral broadening through self-phase modulation (SPM), followed by temporal pulse compression. However, other unavoidable nonlinear self-action effects, which typically occur parallel to SPM, can lead to phase distortions and beam quality degradation. Here we study the ability to compress high-energy pulses by loose focusing in a noble gas to induce nonlinear spectral broadening, while limiting unwanted nonlinear effects such as self-focusing. We introduce ptychographic wavefront sensor and FROG measurements to identify the regimes that optimize pulse compression while maintaining high beam quality. Using a 700 mbar argon-filled double-pass-based scheme, we successfully compress 2 mJ, 170 fs, 1030 nm laser pulses to ∼35 fs, achieving 90% overall flux efficiency and excellent stability. This work provides guidelines for optimizing the compressed pulse quality and further energy scaling of double-pass-based post-compression concepts.
AB - The ability to generate high-intensity ultrashort laser pulses is a key driver for advancing the strong-field physics and its applications. Post-compression methods aim to increase the peak intensity of amplified laser pulses via spectral broadening through self-phase modulation (SPM), followed by temporal pulse compression. However, other unavoidable nonlinear self-action effects, which typically occur parallel to SPM, can lead to phase distortions and beam quality degradation. Here we study the ability to compress high-energy pulses by loose focusing in a noble gas to induce nonlinear spectral broadening, while limiting unwanted nonlinear effects such as self-focusing. We introduce ptychographic wavefront sensor and FROG measurements to identify the regimes that optimize pulse compression while maintaining high beam quality. Using a 700 mbar argon-filled double-pass-based scheme, we successfully compress 2 mJ, 170 fs, 1030 nm laser pulses to ∼35 fs, achieving 90% overall flux efficiency and excellent stability. This work provides guidelines for optimizing the compressed pulse quality and further energy scaling of double-pass-based post-compression concepts.
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U2 - 10.1364/OE.539655
DO - 10.1364/OE.539655
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85209227932
SN - 1094-4087
VL - 32
SP - 40990
EP - 41003
JO - Optics Express
JF - Optics Express
IS - 23
ER -