HIGH-CONTRAST MULTI-TERAWATT PULSE GENERATION USING CHIRPED PULSE AMPLIFICATION ON THE VULCAN LASER FACILITY

High power (8 TW), ultra-short (2.4 ps), pulses have been generated us ing chirped pulse amplification techniques on the VULCAN Nd:glass lase r. A novel oscillator was developed as a driver producing approximatel y 2 ps pulses at 105 nm. The oscillator output was stretched prior to amplification and compressed at an aperture of 150 mm. The contrast ra tio obtained was approximately 10(6), which is suitable for laser plas ma interaction studies.