J. Collier et al., Evaluation of an ultrabroadband high-gain amplification technique for chirped pulse amplification facilities, APPL OPTICS, 38(36), 1999, pp. 7486-7493
Recently, an amplification technique for ultrashort pulses was explored in
detail in a theoretical paper by Ross et al. [Opt. Commun. 144, 125 (1991)]
. The technique, based on nonlinear optics, is called optical parametric ch
irped pulse amplification. It has a number of features that, in principle,
make it highly attractive. It primarily offers extremely large gains simult
aneously with extremely large bandwidths. Additional attractions are virtua
lly no spatial and temporal phase distortion of the amplified pulse, high e
fficiencies and a low thermal loading, reduced amplified spontaneous emissi
on levels, small optical material lengths, and an inherent simplicity of im
plementation. We present an evaluation of the technique as a front end ampl
ifier for the ultrashort pulse amplification chain of the Vulcan laser syst
em. Such a device could replace same of the existing amplification in Nd:gl
ass and additionally have a wider effect as a direct replacement of Ti:sapp
hire regenerative amplifiers on large-scale chirped pulse amplification sca
le facilities. (C) 1999 Optical Society of America OCIS codes: 320.0320, 32
0.7090, 320.1590, 190.4970.