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National Energetics has successfully completed the installation of a 10 Hz, 20 TW laser system at Tel Aviv University in Israel. This system is currently the most powerful laser in the entire Middle East.
The laser uses Picosecond Optical Parametric Chirped Pulse Amplification (PS-OPCPA) for most of the system gain followed by a traditional Ti:Sapphire power amplifier. PS-OPCPA offers significant improvements to current Ti:Sapphire ultrafast laser architectures. This technique amplifies the seed pulse in a picosecond window, enhancing contrast and eliminating prepulses associated with the use of classic regenerative amplifiers.
PS-OPCPA is a key component for next-generation ultra-intense laser systems. With this technique, amplification of a chirped pulse by interactions in nonlinear optical crystals replaces traditional laser amplifiers in at least some of the laser chain. Proper design of the nonlinear optical interaction yields gains of 106 simply by a single pass through a 1-2 cm nonlinear optical crystal.
PS-OPCPA delivers exceptional intrinsic pulse contrast in the temporal range of 10 ns down to 20 ps, as well as improved contrast in the 2 to 20 ps temporal window. It is in this window (2-20 ps), much closer to the laser pulse, which is far more difficult to control and measure. Contrast in this range is largely driven by the creation of post pulses in the laser chain, which nonlinearly mix with the main pulse while they are stretched to produce pre-pulses upon compression. These pre-pulses are only present when the laser operates at full power and cannot, therefore, be measured on the system with only the front end operating.
National Energetics is the leading innovator of high-energy and ultra-intense lasers and laser systems. They provide reliable, high performance solutions utilizing novel technologies that surpass traditional platforms and deliver what you need for your success. These systems include lasers based on Chirped Pulse Amplification (CPA) with peak power from 1 TW to above a PW as well as high energy and high average power pulsed laser systems.