Demonstration of Large-Aperture, Tiled-Grating Compressors for High-Energy, Petawatt-Class, Chirped-Pulse Amplification Systems

Journal Article · Tue Aug 12 00:00:00 EDT 2008 · Optics Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1364/OL.33.001684· OSTI ID:935766

Two large-aperture tiled-grating (1.5 m) compressors, each consisting of four sets of tiled-grating assemblies, have been built for the OMEGA EP high-energy petawatt-class laser system. The techniques used for tiling individual tiled-grating assemblies and for optimizing the overall performance of a tiled-grating compressor are described. Both compressors achieved subpicosecond pulse duration without tiling-induced temporal degradation. A ray-tracing model predicted that the static wavefront of the grating tiles dominated focal-spot degradations when submicroradian tiling accuracy is achieved. The tiled-grating compressors delivered a tighter focal spot compared with subaperture grating compressors with single central tiles.

• Research Organization: Univ. of Rochester, NY (United States). Lab. for Laser Energetics
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• DOE Contract Number: FC52-08NA28302
• OSTI ID: 935766
• Report Number(s): DOE/NA/28302-844; ISSN 1539-4794; 2008-61; 1818
• Journal Information: Optics Letters, Vol. 33, Issue 15; ISSN 0146-9592
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English