TY - UNPB
T1 - Compact, folded multi-pass cells for energy scaling of post-compression
AU - Schönberg, Arthur
AU - Rajhans, Supriya
AU - Escoto, Esmerando
AU - Khodakovskiy, Nikita
AU - Hariton, Victor
AU - Farace, Bonaventura
AU - Põder, Kristjan
AU - Raab, Ann-Kathrin
AU - Westerberg, Saga
AU - Merdanov, Mekan
AU - Viotti, Anne-Lise
AU - Arnold, Cord
AU - Leemans, Wim P.
AU - Hartl, Ingmar
AU - Heyl, Christoph M.
PY - 2024/9/4
Y1 - 2024/9/4
N2 - Combining high peak and high average power has long been a key challenge of ultrafast laser technology, crucial for applications such as laser-plasma acceleration and strong-field physics. A promising solution lies in post-compressed ytterbium lasers, but scaling these to high pulse energies presents a major bottleneck. Post-compression techniques, particularly Herriott-type multi-pass cells (MPCs), have enabled large peak power boosts at high average powers but their pulse energy acceptance reaches practical limits defined by setup size and coating damage threshold. In this work, we address this challenge and demonstrate a novel type of compact, energy-scalable MPC (CMPC). By employing a novel MPC configuration and folding the beam path, the CMPC introduces a new degree of freedom for downsizing the setup length, enabling compact setups even for large pulse energies. We experimentally and numerically verify the CMPC approach, demonstrating post-compression of 8 mJ pulses from 1 ps down to 51 fs in atmospheric air using a cell roughly 45 cm in length at low fluence values. Additionally, we discuss the potential for energy scaling up to 200 mJ with a setup size reaching 2.5 m. Our work presents a new approach to high-energy post-compression, with up-scaling potential far beyond the demonstrated parameters. This opens new routes for achieving the high peak and average powers necessary for demanding applications of ultrafast lasers.
AB - Combining high peak and high average power has long been a key challenge of ultrafast laser technology, crucial for applications such as laser-plasma acceleration and strong-field physics. A promising solution lies in post-compressed ytterbium lasers, but scaling these to high pulse energies presents a major bottleneck. Post-compression techniques, particularly Herriott-type multi-pass cells (MPCs), have enabled large peak power boosts at high average powers but their pulse energy acceptance reaches practical limits defined by setup size and coating damage threshold. In this work, we address this challenge and demonstrate a novel type of compact, energy-scalable MPC (CMPC). By employing a novel MPC configuration and folding the beam path, the CMPC introduces a new degree of freedom for downsizing the setup length, enabling compact setups even for large pulse energies. We experimentally and numerically verify the CMPC approach, demonstrating post-compression of 8 mJ pulses from 1 ps down to 51 fs in atmospheric air using a cell roughly 45 cm in length at low fluence values. Additionally, we discuss the potential for energy scaling up to 200 mJ with a setup size reaching 2.5 m. Our work presents a new approach to high-energy post-compression, with up-scaling potential far beyond the demonstrated parameters. This opens new routes for achieving the high peak and average powers necessary for demanding applications of ultrafast lasers.
U2 - 10.48550/arXiv.2409.02542
DO - 10.48550/arXiv.2409.02542
M3 - Preprint (in preprint archive)
BT - Compact, folded multi-pass cells for energy scaling of post-compression
PB - arXiv.org
ER -