Multi-gigawatt peak power post-compression in a bulk multi-pass cell at a high repetition rate

The output of a 200 kHz, 34 W, 300 fs ytterbium amplifier is compressed to 31 fs with > 88% efficiency to reach a peak power of 2.5 GW, which to date is a record for a single -stage bulk multi-pass cell. Despite operation 80 times above the critical power for self-focusing in bulk material, the setup demonstrates excellent preservation of the input beam quality. Extensive beam and pulse characterizations are per-formed to show that the compressed pulses are promising drivers for high harmonic generation and nonlinear optics in gases or solids.

Automated summary

This study demonstrates the compression of the output of a 200 kHz, 34 W, 300 fs ytterbium amplifier to 31 fs, achieving a peak power of 2.5 GW with over 88% efficiency. Despite operating 80 times above the critical power for self-focusing in bulk material, the setup maintains excellent preservation of the input beam quality. Extensive characterizations indicate that the compressed pulses have promising applications in high harmonic generation and nonlinear optics in gases or solids.