HIGH-POWER NEODYMIUM PHOSPHATE-GLASS LASE R FOR EXPERIMENTS ON THE INTERACTION OF ULTRAHIGH OPTICAL-FIELDS WITH MATTER

Preliminary results are reported on the development of a high-power ne odymium phosphate glass (lambda = 1.053 mu m) laser system designed fo r experiments on the interaction of picosecond pulses with matter. The system comprises a laser oscillator with negative feedback, a Q-switc hed preamplifier, and a multistage amplifying channel. Amplification o f chirped pulses is followed by their compression in the system. The r esults of experiments on the interaction of high-intensity (I > 10(15) W/cm(2)) laser radiation pulses of different duration with targets in a vacuum chamber are reported. The characteristics of a laser plasma formed in this way are also reported.