Proceedings Article | 13 May 2019
Paul Phillips, Saumyabrata Banerjee, Jodie Smith, Klaus Ertel, Paul Mason, Thomas Butcher, Mariastefania De Vido, Martin Divoky, Billy Costello, Martin Hanus, Jan Pillar, Petr Navaratil, Antonio Lucianetti, Martin Tyldesley, Thomas Mocek, Chris Edwards, Cristina Hernandez-Gomez, John Collier
KEYWORDS: Crystals, Second-harmonic generation, Laser optics, Frequency conversion, Laser systems engineering, Laser development, Harmonic generation, Optical amplifiers, Sapphire lasers, Medical imaging
Efficient frequency conversion of high energy, high repetition rate 1 µm laser radiation suitable for pumping OPCPA systems and Ti:Sapphire lasers is crucial for the production of ultra-short, high peak power pulses at high repetition rate. Applications include advanced imaging, novel medical treatments and applied and fundamental science. Two 100 J / 10 Hz nanosecond pulsed Yb:YAG lasers, based on “DiPOLE” cryogenic gas-cooled amplifier technology developed at the Central Laser Facility (CLF) [1], have been built. The first DiPOLE100 laser is installed at the HiLASE facility in 2017 [2]. The second is being commissioned at the CLF and will be delivered to the European X-ray Free Electron Laser (XFEL) facility in Germany as a UK funded contribution-in-kind for installation on the High Energy Density (HED) instrument. This system will achieve its full 1 kW design output at the end of 2018, and will deliver high repetition rate 10 GW pulses and frequency converted for to a wide ranging user programme of high-energy density matter experiments (HED).
In this paper, we present results of second and third harmonic generation (SHG and THG) experiments using the CLF’s 10 J, 10 Hz DiPOLE laser to pump an LBO crystal. A SHG conversion efficiency of > 75% was achieved in a xx mm LBO crystal for a 1030 nm pulse energy of 8 J and duration 10 ns operating at 10 Hz , corresponding to 4.2 J (5.4 J at the fundamental) J pulses at 515 nm. Furthermore, we have achieved > 40% conversion to the third harmonic in a 6 mm thick LBO crystal, corresponding to 3 J (7 J at the fundamental) at 343 nm, with a 2 ns temporal pulse width. Finally, we compare the SHG performance of LBO and YCOB crystals [3].
We present setup of the 10 J and 100 J conversation at HiLASE and show preliminary results. We will also present initial results of the commissioning of D100-X of the second amplifier and frequency conversion, which will be deployed on both DiPOLE100 systems, where it will be used for damage testing of optics and laser shock peening at HiLASE [4,5], and dynamic shock compression experiments at XFEL [6]. These results will be compared to our calculations on the efficiency of SHG and THG for a number of different temporal pulse shapes and durations.
Efficient frequency conversion of high energy, high repetition rate 1 µm laser radiation suitable for pumping OPCPA systems and Ti:Sapphire lasers is crucial for the production of ultra-short, high peak power pulses at high repetition rate. Applications include advanced imaging, novel medical treatments and applied and fundamental science. Two 100 J / 10 Hz nanosecond pulsed Yb:YAG lasers, based on “DiPOLE” cryogenic gas-cooled amplifier technology developed at the Central Laser Facility (CLF) [1], have been built. The first DiPOLE100 laser is installed at the HiLASE facility in 2017 [2]. The second is being commissioned at the CLF and will be delivered to the European X-ray Free Electron Laser (XFEL) facility in Germany as a UK funded contribution-in-kind for installation on the High Energy Density (HED) instrument. This system will achieve its full 1 kW design output at the end of 2018, and will deliver high repetition rate 10 GW pulses and frequency converted for to a wide ranging user programme of high-energy density matter experiments (HED).
In this paper, we present results of second and third harmonic generation (SHG and THG) experiments using the CLF’s 10 J, 10 Hz DiPOLE laser to pump an LBO crystal. A SHG conversion efficiency of > 75% was achieved in a xx mm LBO crystal for a 1030 nm pulse energy of 8 J and duration 10 ns operating at 10 Hz , corresponding to 4.2 J (5.4 J at the fundamental) J pulses at 515 nm. Furthermore, we have achieved > 40% conversion to the third harmonic in a 6 mm thick LBO crystal, corresponding to 3 J (7 J at the fundamental) at 343 nm, with a 2 ns temporal pulse width. Finally, we compare the SHG performance of LBO and YCOB crystals [3].
We present setup of the 10 J and 100 J conversation at HiLASE and show preliminary results. We will also present initial results of the commissioning of D100-X of the second amplifier and frequency conversion, which will be deployed on both DiPOLE100 systems, where it will be used for damage testing of optics and laser shock peening at HiLASE [4,5], and dynamic shock compression experiments at XFEL [6]. These results will be compared to our calculations on the efficiency of SHG and THG for a number of different temporal pulse shapes and durations.
1. S. Banerjee et al,"100 J-level nanosecond pulsed diode pumped solid state laser," Opt. Lett. 41, 2089-2092 (2016).
2. P. Mason et al, "Kilowatt average power 100 J-level diode pumped solid state laser," Optica 4, 438-439 (2017).
3. P. J. Phillips et al, ’High energy, high repetition rate, second harmonic generation in large aperture DKDP, YCOB and LBO crystals.’ Optics Express 24(17), 19682-19694 (2016).
4. J. Nygaard, ‘Laser shock peening using DiPOLE laser system’, The AILU Laser User Magazine Issue 86, Autumn 2017.
5. The authors gratefully acknowledge funding for this work from H2020 Widespread Teaming action and the Czech Ministry of Science.
6. M. McMahon at al, ”Conceptual Design report- Dynamic Laser Compression Experiments at HED Instruments of European XFEL, “ XFEL.EU TR-2017-001, February, 2017
