Abstract

Since its invention Chirped Pulsed Amplification (CPA) [1] has enabled the amplification of ultra short pulses to high energies and is now routinely used on small and large laser systems around the World. In the technique, an ultra short pulse is first stretched in time before amplification in a suitable medium. Because it is now a ‘long’ pulse non linear refractive effects such as self focussing and B Integral are minimised. Following amplification it is compressed to recover an ultra short pulse once more.

© 1998 IEEE