60 fs, 1030 nm FEL pump–probe laser based on a multi-pass post-compressed Yb:YAG source

Viotti, Anne-Lise; Ališauskas, Skirmantas; Wahid, Ammar Bin; Balla, Prannay; Schirmel, Nora; Manschwetus, Bastian; Hartl, Ingmar; Heyl, Christoph M.

doi:10.1107/s1600577520015052

Cited by 20 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 15 publications

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“…[ 32 ] Precedent experiments with MPCs at FLASH have already demonstrated the potential of nonlinear pulse compression at FEL facilities. [ 33,34 ] Here, the first laser system is reported which fully relies on the spectral broadening concept and has been employed in FEL user experiments. [ 35 ] To date, PG beamline users have given positive feedback to the novel pump laser system.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ultrafast MHz‐Rate Burst‐Mode Pump–Probe Laser for the FLASH FEL Facility Based on Nonlinear Compression of ps‐Level Pulses from an Yb‐Amplifier Chain

Seidel

Pressacco

Akcaalan

et al. 2022

Laser & Photonics Reviews

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The Free‐Electron Laser (FEL) FLASH offers the worldwide still unique capability to study ultrafast processes with high‐flux, high‐repetition rate extreme ultraviolet, and soft X‐ray pulses. The vast majority of experiments at FLASH are of pump–probe type. Many of them rely on optical ultrafast lasers. Here, a novel FEL facility laser is reported which combines high average power output from Yb:YAG amplifiers with spectral broadening in a Herriott‐type multipass cell and subsequent pulse compression to sub‐100‐fs durations. Compared to other facility lasers employing optical parametric amplification, the new system comes with significantly improved noise figures, compactness, simplicity, and power efficiency. Like FLASH, the optical laser operates with 10‐Hz burst repetition rate. The bursts consist of 800‐μs long trains of up to 800 ultrashort pulses being synchronized to the FEL with femtosecond precision. In the experimental chamber, pulses with up to 50‐μJ energy, 60‐fs full‐width half‐maximum duration and 1‐MHz rate at 1.03‐μm wavelength are available and can be adjusted by computer‐control. Moreover, nonlinear polarization rotation is implemented to improve laser pulse contrast. First cross‐correlation measurements with the FEL at the plane‐grating monochromator photon beamline are demonstrated, exhibiting the suitability of the laser for user experiments at FLASH.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ultrafast MHz‐Rate Burst‐Mode Pump–Probe Laser for the FLASH FEL Facility Based on Nonlinear Compression of ps‐Level Pulses from an Yb‐Amplifier Chain

Seidel

Pressacco

Akcaalan

et al. 2022

Laser & Photonics Reviews

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“…Scientific applications, for instance at free electron lasers installations, already take advantage of this method. [ 82 ] The most remarkable properties of MPCs in this context are their energy throughput, their extended free aperture that translates into a robustness to beam pointing and position fluctuations, and their power and energy scalability prospects. One of the key challenges for efficient implementation of this technique is mirror coating technology, in particular with the tradeoff between reflectivity, bandwidth, damage threshold, and dispersion.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Nonlinear Optics in Multipass Cells

Hanna

Guichard

Daher

et al. 2021

Laser & Photonics Reviews

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The fundamental principles and experimental implementations of multipass cells used as a platform for nonlinear optics are reviewed. Embedding a nonlinear medium in a multipass cell allows for a distribution of the nonlinearity over large interaction distances, while the beam goes through multiple foci, conferring on the beam a robustness with respect to spatio-spectral coupling effects. Most of the research so far has been focused on temporal compression based on self-phase modulation, with excellent performances especially in terms of energy scaling and throughput. However, other nonlinear phenomena and functions are being increasingly investigated, such as supercontinuum generation, spectral compression, or Raman scattering. Nonlinear optics experiments in multipass cells bear some similarities with the work done in optical fibers over several decades, while allowing straightforward energy scaling potential, and unlocking engineering possibilities through the design of the cell mirrors, geometry, and nonlinear medium.

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“…We find that the temporal pedestals are reduced by a factor of up to at least 200, limited by the dynamic range of our detector. By contrast to typical post-compressed pulses exhibiting temporal pre-and post-pulses 28 , the frequency-shifted pulses have a nearly perfect Gaussian shape over a large dynamic range.…”

mentioning

confidence: 88%

Ultrafast serrodyne optical frequency translator

et al. 2022

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The serrodyne principle enables an electromagnetic signal to be frequency shifted by applying a linear phase ramp in the time domain. This phenomenon has been exploited to frequency shift signals in the radiofrequency, microwave and optical regions of the electromagnetic spectrum over ranges of up to a few gigahertz, for example, to analyse the Doppler shift of radiofrequency signals for noise suppression and frequency stabilization. Here we employ this principle to shift the centre frequency of high-power femtosecond laser pulses over a range of several terahertz with the help of a nonlinear multi-pass cell. We demonstrate our method experimentally by shifting the central wavelength of a state-of-the-art 75 W frequency comb laser from 1,030 nm to 1,060 nm and to 1,000 nm. Furthermore, we experimentally show that this wavelength-shifting technique supports coherence characteristics at the few hertz-level while improving the temporal pulse quality. The technique is generally applicable to wide parameter ranges and different laser systems, enabling efficient wavelength conversion of high-power lasers to spectral regions beyond the gain bandwidth of available laser platforms.

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60 fs, 1030 nm FEL pump–probe laser based on a multi-pass post-compressed Yb:YAG source

Cited by 20 publications

References 15 publications

Ultrafast MHz‐Rate Burst‐Mode Pump–Probe Laser for the FLASH FEL Facility Based on Nonlinear Compression of ps‐Level Pulses from an Yb‐Amplifier Chain

Ultrafast MHz‐Rate Burst‐Mode Pump–Probe Laser for the FLASH FEL Facility Based on Nonlinear Compression of ps‐Level Pulses from an Yb‐Amplifier Chain

Nonlinear Optics in Multipass Cells

Ultrafast serrodyne optical frequency translator

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