Abstract

High field physics studies which require intensities of 10¹⁶ W/cm² and greater can now be performed with compact solid-state laser sources which utilize techniques such as chirped pulse amplification to safely extract the stored energy from the gain media. To date, we have built multiple femtosecond chirped pulse amplification sources which are based on a variety of solid-state materials, including Ndrglass, alexandrite, Ti:Al₂O₃, and Cr:SrAlF₆ The most interesting (and promising) systems, are not based on any single material, but rather a hybrid scheme where these materials are used as a combination, taking advantages of the individual strengths of each material, and compensating for individual weaknesses. Such hybrid sources are not only capable of amplifying the shortest pulses, but of increasing the average power capability over present designs.

© 1992 The Author(s)