Abstract

Nd:Glass amplifiers have very good energy storage capabilities, but, the energy extraction is extremely inefficient for short pulse amplification. Scientists working in the radar field overcame similar peak power limitations by first chirping and stretching the pulse prior to amplification.^1-2 By amplifying the longer pulses, much higher energies could be achieved. The echo was then compressed to a pulsewidth approximately equal to 1/Δf, where Δf is the total frequency chirp.

© 1986 Optical Society of America