Ekspla and Light Conversion Led Joint Consortium Introduces 5 TW Laser System

Posted  by GoPhotonics EKSPLALight Conversion

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A joint consortium led by Ekspla and Light Conversion has designed and build a unique OPCPA (Optical Parametric Chirped-Pulse Amplification) based laser system, providing 5 terawatts of output power at 1 kHz repetition rate. Named as Sylos 1, the system has been build for the Extreme Light Infrastructure - Attosecond Light Pulse Source (ELI-ALPS) facilities located in Szeged, Hungary.

The system is unique due to its outstanding combination of power and pulse duration. Five terawatts of output power establishes Sylos as one of the most powerful systems in the world generating 10 fs or shorter pulses at 1 kHz repetition rate. Secondly, it employs innovative OPCPA technology born and perfected at Vilnius University, Lithuania. Featuring comparatively simple and cost-effective layout OPCPA is a key approach in equipping the high intensity laser facility to reach attoseconds in deep UV regions. Currently the Sylos 1 is claimed to deliver the highest average power currently achieved among CEP-stabilized, few-cycle, TW-class laser systems.

The unique laser system consists of an industrial-grade femtosecond laser Pharos by Light Conversion, which pumps femtosecond OPAs delivering passively CEP stable seed pulses, a specially designed diode-pumped Nd:YAG picosecond pump laser by Ekspla, and 4 picosecond OPCPA stages, preceded by a seed pulse stretcher and followed by a compressor.

The main object of ELI-ALPS (Extreme Light Infrastructure Attosecond Light Pulse Source) project is creating a unique European research center, providing the international research community with laser pulses and further sources based on these. The Szeged facility will stand out from the institutes producing the highest intensity laser pulses in the world with its highest repetition rate and shortest pulses.

The design and building of the Sylos 1 system started in November 2014 and lasted for more than 2 years. It is valued around 4 million euros.

EKSPLA

  • Country: Lithuania

Light Conversion

  • Country: Lithuania