Device for amplifying high-energy ultrashort light pulses
A device for amplifying high-energy ultrashort light pulses, includes a generator ( 1 ), a first amplifying/time-stretching element ( 2 ) including a time-stretching element ( 3 ), a regenerative amplifier ( 4 ), a multipass amplifier ( 5 ) and a compressor ( 6 ). The device further includes a second amplifying/time-stretching element ( 11 ), arranged at the output of the generator ( 1 ), amplifying and time-stretching the initial light pulses ( 7 ) to generate amplified and time-stretched pulses ( 13 ), and a filtering element ( 12 ) arranged between the second amplifying/time-stretching element ( 11 ) and the amplification unit ( 2 ), blocking the low-amplitude light signals ( 14 ) of the amplified and time-stretched pulses ( 13 ).
1. Device for amplifying high-energy ultrashort light pulses, said device comprising:
a generator ( 1 ) supplying initial high-energy ultrashort light pulses ( 7 ),
a first amplifying/time-stretching means ( 2 ), comprising:
a time-stretching means ( 3 ) adapted to time-stretch light pulses to generate time-stretched light pulses ( 8 , 16 ),
a regenerative amplifier ( 4 ) pre-amplifying the time-stretched light pulses ( 8 , 16 ) to generate stretched and pre-amplified light pulses ( 19 , 20 ),
a multipass amplifier ( 5 ) amplifying the stretched and pre-amplified light pulses ( 19 , 20 ) to generate amplified pulses ( 9 , 17 ),
a compressor ( 6 ) time-compressing the amplified pulses ( 9 , 17 ) to generate compressed pulses ( 10 , 18 ) having a duration close to that of the initial light pulses ( 7 ), and
a second amplifying/time-stretching means ( 11 ), arranged at the output of the generator ( 1 ), suitable for amplifying and time-stretching the initial light pulses ( 7 ) for generating amplified and time-stretched pulses ( 13 ),
characterized in that it comprises:
a first filtering means ( 12 ) comprising a passive component, said passive component comprising at least one saturable absorbent material, said first filtering means ( 12 ) being arranged between the second amplifying/time-stretching means ( 11 ) and the first amplifying/time-stretching means ( 2 ), suitable for blocking the low-amplitude light signals ( 14 ) of the amplified and time-stretched pulses ( 13 ), and
a second compression means ( 23 ), arranged after the first filtering means ( 12 ), and a second filtering means ( 24 ) arranged after the second compression means ( 23 ), said second filtering means ( 24 ) comprising a non-linear crystal ( 29 ) suitable for transferring a part of the energy of the compressed pulses ( 19 ) to a cross-polarization (XPW) and a polarizer ( 32 ) suitable for filtering said polarization.
2. Device for amplifying light pulses according to claim 1 , characterized in that the saturable absorbent material is chosen among a CdSe-, CdTe- or CdSeTe-doped glass or a cell of liquid organic dye comprising C 29 H 33 N 2 I (or HITC).
3. Device for amplifying light pulses according to claim 1 , characterized in that the second amplifying/time-stretching means ( 11 ) is a multipass amplifier.
4. Device for amplifying light pulses according to claim 3 , characterized in that the multipass amplifier comprises a dispersive element.
5. Device for amplifying light pulses according to claim 4 , characterized in that the dispersive element is a TeO 2 crystal.
6. Device for amplifying light pulses according to claim 1 , characterized in that the second amplifying/time-stretching means ( 11 ) is a chirped pulse amplifier.
7. Device for amplifying light pulses according to claim 2 , characterized in that the second amplifying/time-stretching means ( 11 ) is a multipass amplifier.
8. Device for amplifying light pulses according to claim 2 , characterized in that the second amplifying/time-stretching means ( 11 ) is a chirped pulse amplifier.
9. Device for amplifying light pulses according to claim 3 , characterized in that the second amplifying/time-stretching means ( 11 ) is a chirped pulse amplifier.