HIGH-POWER ULTRAFAST LASERS

In this article, we review progress in the development of high peak-po wer ultrafast lasers, and discuss in detail the design issues which de termine the performance of these systems. Presently, lasers capable of generating terawatt peak powers with unprecedented short pulse durati on can now be built on a single optical table in a small-scale laborat ory, while large-scale lasers can generate peak power of over a petawa tt. This progress is made possible by the use of the chirped-pulse amp lification technique, combined with the use of broad-bandwidth laser m aterials such as Ti:sapphire, and the development of techniques for ge nerating and propagating very short (10-30 fs) duration light pulses. We also briefly summarize some of the new scientific advances made pos sible by this technology, such as the generation of coherent femtoseco nd x-ray pulses, and the generation of MeV-energy electron beams and h igh-energy ions. (C) 1998 American Institute of Physics. [S0034-6748(9 8)00303-7].