Achieving 100 GW idler pulses from an existing petawatt optical parametric chirped pulse amplifier

Optical parametric chirped-pulse-amplification produces two broadband pulses, a signal and an idler, that can both provide peak powers >100 GW. In most cases the signal is used, but compressing the longer-wavelength idler opens up opportunities for experiments where the driving laser wavelength is a key parameter. This paper will describe several subsystems that were added to a petawatt class, Multi-Terawatt optical parametric amplifier line (MTW-OPAL) at the Laboratory for Laser Energetics to address two long-standing issues introduced by the use of the idler, angular dispersion, and spectral phase reversal. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time that compensation of angular dispersion and phase reversal has been achieved in a single system and results in a 100 GW, 120-fs duration, pulse at 1170 nm.(c) 2023 Optica Publishing Group under the terms of the Optica Open Access Publishing Agreement

Automated summary

Optical parametric chirped-pulse amplification generates two broadband pulses, a signal and an idler, with peak powers >100 GW. While the signal is usually used, compressing the longer-wavelength idler allows for experiments where the driving laser wavelength is crucial. This paper discusses the addition of subsystems to address angular dispersion and spectral phase reversal issues introduced by the idler in a petawatt class optical parametric amplifier line.