Thales

Vincent Moro

Franck Falcoz

Emmanuel Marquis

The field of the invention is that of high-energy laser beam amplifiers and associated optical pumping devices. The object of the invention is to use an amplifier configuration and a cooling means which do not have the drawbacks of cryogenic systems that have been used up until now and which however make it possible both to obtain an amplified laser beam of high quality and to minimize transverse lasing effects. A laser beam amplifying device according to the invention combines four main principles, which are use of a crystal exhibiting circular symmetry so as to distribute the mechanical stresses radially; cooling of the entire external surface by a cooling liquid, so as to avoid the use of cryogenic techniques; use of a matching liquid so as to avoid transverse lasing effects; and use of pump laser beams with uniform energy distribution.

Device for amplifying a laser with high energy and high beam quality

The present invention relates to an amplifier chain for generating ultrashort light pulses of different pulse durations and applies in particular to amplifier chains suitable for amplifying picosecond and femtosecond pulses. The amplifier chain comprising a stretcher with at least one entry dispersive element of the grating type and intended to temporally stretch an incident pulse, an amplifying medium designed to amplify said stretched pulse, a compressor with at least one entry dispersive element substantially identical to that of the stretcher, designed to temporally compress said amplified pulse. According to the invention, the stretcher and the compressor include means for moving the dispersive elements between first and second positions, in such a way that the angle of incidence in a first position is equal to the angle of diffraction in the second position, and vice versa, allowing two degrees of stretch of the chain to be defined, each adapted to the amplification of pulses of different durations.

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Viry Chatillon, France

Vincent Moro