Working Group 8: Laser Technology for Laser-Plasma Accelerators

Index Babzien Canova Chowdhury Chvykov Corner Ditmire Donovan Flippo Galvanauskas Gaul Karsch Krushelnick Leemans Lu Martinez Osterhoff Polyanskiy Rosenzweig Roth Schroeder Specka Toth Umstadter Zeil Name of submitting author Mr. Marcus Babzien Institution Brookhaven National Laboratory Email [email protected] Abstract Title BNL ATF Timing System Upgrades Author/Affiliation listing M. Babzien, M. Montemagno, V. Yakimenko Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton NY 11973Title BNL ATF Timing System Upgrades Author/Affiliation listing M. Babzien, M. Montemagno, V. Yakimenko Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton NY 11973 Abstract A key enabling technology in advanced accelerators is the synchronization of precision frequency and pulse sources at the picosecond or subpicosecond level. The synchronization system employed at the BNL Accelerator Test Facility will be presented, as well as ongoing work to extend present capabilities to multiple laser and RF sources.A key enabling technology in advanced accelerators is the synchronization of precision frequency and pulse sources at the picosecond or subpicosecond level. The synchronization system employed at the BNL Accelerator Test Facility will be presented, as well as ongoing work to extend present capabilities to multiple laser and RF sources. Summary At the Brookhaven National Laboratory Accelerator Test Facility (BNL ATF), the low level RF system provides a reference signal for locking the phase of the Nd:YAG drive laser that illuminates the photoinjector. A TW-level picosecond CO2 laser serving user experiments is seeded with semiconductor and Kerr switches controlled by the photoinjector drive laser, providing optical synchronization between the electron bunches and CO2 laser pulses with sub-picosecond stability. Upgrades at the facility will require additional laser sources to operate with improved synchronization. 
 of the CO2 laser will be reached when a shorter seed pulse than the present 1ps becomes available. A Ti:sapphire laser currently being tested will provide 300fs pulses that are frequency-converted to the 10micron spectral range for CO2 amplifier seeding, and will require an approximately threefold improvement in synchronization accuracy. A phase locked loop (PLL) controls the repetition rate of a modelocked fiber oscillator that seeds the ti:sapphire amplifiers. By operating the PLL at the 70th harmonic of the laser repetition rate, the ratio of phase error signal to amplitude noise is correspondingly enhanced. The frequency comb generated from the modelocked laser eliminates the need for a conventional RF multiplier and minimizes noise in the frequency domain. A second RF mixer is used outside the PLL to measure the residual phase error. Both temperature and laser amplitude variations can contribute to instability in the PLL and are minimized by component selection and characterization as well as temperature stabilization. 
 integration of a future second Ti:sapphire laser planned for driving the electron gun will rely on RF synchronization also. A second laser seed oscillator and PLL will lock to the optical pulse train of the first laser oscillator. The 70m distance between the two laser systems will necessitate transport of the optical train through single-mode optical fiber in order to achieve minimum phase drift. The same optical train will also be used provide the low level RF required for the electron photoinjector and linac. Name of submitting author Federico Canova Institution Amplitude Technologies Email [email protected] Abstract Title High peak power laser systems for application: high repetition rate PW lasers Author/Affiliation listing P.M.Paul, F. Canova, F. Plé, F. Falcoz, G. Riboulet, L.Vigroux, P. Leroy, S. Branly Amplitude Technologies, 2-4 rue du Bois Chaland, CE2926 Lisses, Evry, FranceTitle High peak power laser systems for application: high repetition rate PW lasers Author/Affiliation listing P.M.Paul, F. Canova, F. Plé, F. Falcoz, G. Riboulet, L.Vigroux, P. Leroy, S. Branly Amplitude Technologies, 2-4 rue du Bois Chaland, CE2926 Lisses, Evry, France Abstract Amplitude has developed and is commissioning high repetition rate PW-class laser systems. We will comment our approach in term of laser technology (temporal duration and contrast, high energy amplification and compression, cryogenic cooling), infrastructure management (overall control command and supervision) and modes of operation to support application.Amplitude has developed and is commissioning high repetition rate PW-class laser systems. We will comment our approach in term of laser technology (temporal duration and contrast, high energy amplification and compression, cryogenic cooling), infrastructure management (overall control command and supervision) and modes of operation to support application. Summary Amplitude Technologies mission is to produce robust and reliable, ultra-intense femtosecond systems with the best performance with respect to pulse duration, temporal contrast and spatial beam quality. Our performance engagement continues after delivery and our close collaboration with the customer guarantees that the system’s specification is maintained for the duration of its operational life. We are currently developing 3 lasers of PW-class for the Saphir project (France), for HZDR (Germany) and for CLPU (Spain) [1]. A general overview of the project will give a clear and detailed presentation fo the different type and characteristics of this kind of projects. The project management in the 3 cases will be presented, with a particular attention to the objective in term of the applications and daily operation of the laser. We will comment the required competences in the company, and we will detail the different brick of our technology in term of: • ultra-short high energy pulses amplification, to obtain pulses of less than 20fs at high energy • ultra-high contrast front-end, delivering a pulse with a temporal contrast of better than 14 orders of magnitude • high energy extraction and parasiting lasing management; • cryogenic cooling at high energy, to manage the beam profile, quality and pointing stability • pump laser technology and operation mode. The applications for high peak power lasers require high repetition rate. Thanks to the cryogenic cooling technology, Amplitude Technologies goal is to operate the PW lasers up to 5Hz. The risk management issues have been integrated in the technological approach. A set of test benches and characterization procedures have been developed to quality the supplies of the PW laser systems, as an extension of the ISO 9001 quality approach. In term of infrastructure management, we will present the issues linked to the • Control Command: overall operation and upscalabilility. • Power supplies size • Electrical supply • Control and Securities for daily operation. At the end of the presentation we will discuss different scenarios of daily operation of the PW laser systems, in term of current operation, maintenance, and ownership costs. [1] CLPU project: http://www.clpu.es/en/home.html Name of submitting author Dr. Federico Canova Institution Amplitude Technologies Email [email protected] Abstract Title Contrast Enhancement and Measurement in PW Class laser systems Author/Affiliation listing P.M.Paul, F. Canova, F. Plé, F. Falcoz, G. Riboulet, L.Vigroux, P. Leroy,P.Monot 1) Amplitude Technologies, 2-4 rue du Bois Chaland, Evry, France 2) CEA-Saclay, IRAMIS, Service des Photons, Atomes et Molécules, 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette, FranceTitle Contrast Enhancement and Measurement in PW Class laser systems Author/Affiliation listing P.M.Paul, F. Canova, F. Plé, F. Falcoz, G. Riboulet, L.Vigroux, P. Leroy,P.Monot 1) Amplitude Technologies, 2-4 rue du Bois Chaland, Evry, France 2) CEA-Saclay, IRAMIS, Service des Photons, Atomes et Molécules, 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette, France Abstract We have developed a 4mJ, 60nm bandwidth and 10^14 contrast Laser system. We used the most energetic 1mJ-XPW signal ever produced to seed a standard CPA Laser. We report development of a new high dynamic range third order cross-correlator, which has been performed in the CEA AT lab IMPULSE.We have developed a 4mJ, 60nm bandwidth and 10^14 contrast Laser system. We used the most energetic 1mJ-XPW signal ever produced to seed a standard CPA Laser. We report development of a new high dynamic range third order cross-correlator, which has been performed in the CEA AT lab IMPULSE. Summary The ability to produce laser pulses with ASE background as low as possible is of a major importance in laser-solid target interaction, like particles acceleration. During the last few years, Cross-PolarizedWave (XPW) [1] generation has been intensively studied. Its unique features, such as contrast enhancement or bandwidth enhancement at the fundamental wave have attracted a lot of attention. In a 
 were able to first, produce the most energetic XPW signal ever, and then seed a standard CPA Laser. The XPW signal has been obtained using techniques like regenerative pulse shaping via Acousto-Optic Programmable Gain Control filter (AOPGCF or Mazzler)[2] or close loop spectral phase control. The demonstration has been performed with two compact CPA lasers systems (Fig.1). The first laser system is a high contrast 10^-9 laser equipped with a contrast cleaning device. This technique used by Amplitude Technologies for many years use the direct amplification of the oscillator (booster) in combination with a saturable absorber. The first CPA also contains a Dazzler for active control of the laser overall spectral phase and a Mazzler [2] for regenerative pulse shaping. 
 contrast laser systems. The demonstration has been made at the few milliJoule level but is easily scalable to several Joules, corresponding to hundreds of Terawatt or even PetaWatt lasers for particles acceleration applications. 
 allows us to measure pulses contrast ratio of the order of 10^-14, this is to our knowledge, the highest contrast measured on Titanium: Sapphire based CPA Laser system. [1] N. Minkowski, G. I. Petrov, S. Saltiel, O.Albert, J. Etchepare, J. Opt. soc. Am.B, Vol.21, No.9, 1659-1664 (2004) [2] T. Okshendler, D. Kaplan, P. Tournois, G.M. Greetham, F.Estable, Applied Physics B 83, 491-495 (2006) [3] L. Canova, O. Albert, A.Trisorio, R. Lopez Martens, N. Forget, T. Oksenhendler, S. Kourtev, N. Minkovski and S. M. Saltiel, submitted to CLEO Conference 2008. Name of submitting author Dr. Vladimir Chvykov Institution University of Michigan Email [email protected] Abstract Title Final Amplifier for Laser Accelerators Author/Affiliation listing V. Chvykov, V. Yanovsky, G. Kalinchenko, A. Maksimchuk, K. Krushelnick, Center for Ultrafast Optical Science, University of Michigan P. Rousseau, ENSTA, FranceTitle Final Amplifier for Laser Accelerators Author/Affiliation listing V. Chvykov, V. Yanovsky, G. Kalinchenko, A. Maksimchuk, K. Krushelnick, Center for Ultrafast Optical Science, University of Michigan P. Rousseau, ENSTA, France Abstract We demonstrate the existence of the severe losses due ASE (Amplified Spontaneous Emission) and ability EDP (Extraction During Pumping) technique to suppress it and parasitic lasing. The optimal conditions that can deliver up to kJ level energy with existing technology are presented.We demonstrate the existence of the severe losses due ASE (Amplified Spontaneous Emission) and ability EDP (Extraction During Pumping) technique to suppress it and parasitic lasing. The optimal conditions that can deliver up to kJ level energy with existing technology are presented.