High-energy large-aperture Ti:sapphire amplifier for 5 PW laser pulses

We report on the generation of 192.3 J centered at 800 nm wavelength from a chirped-pulse amplification (CPA) Ti: sapphire laser system. The experimental results demonstrate that parasitic lasing can be suppressed successfully in the final amplifier based on a Ti: sapphire crystal of 150 mm in diameter. An over 50% pump-to-signal conversion efficiency was measured for the final amplifier by optimizing the time delay of two pump pulses and enhancing the injected seed energy. With 72% compressor throughput efficiency and 27 fs long compressed pulse duration obtained at a lower energy level, this laser could potentially support a compressed laser pulse of 5.13 PW peak power. The experimental results represent notable progress regarding the CPA laser. (C) 2015 Optical Society of America