Scaling of ps-kHz-pulses to multi-kW levels

using thin-disk technology and synchronization to

ERL for the Romanian System
Thomas Metzger & Georg Korn
 Outline

OPA Concept and Pump Laser Requirements

Thin-Disk Laser Technology

Possible Front-End

Scaling: Theory and Experiment

Challenges Using Disk Technology

Pumping the Pump Laser

Synchronization

Conclusion
 ELI TDR-CDR (white paper-EU)
•ELI Vision – GM, WS, JC,
– International Landscape - European Leadership
– ESFRI Context – Why ELI ? HiPER – XFEL – other major links link
– Science and Society – EQUAL balance
– Stimulus – industrial opportunities
– Community growth – integrated proposal
– User facility
•ELI Science – NL, GM, GK
– Detailed at an appropriate level
– Applications
•ELI Technology – JC, BR, GS, DU
– Site non specific
– Development requirements – TRL
•Implementation strategy – GK, BR, GS, VZ, MD, WS
– Costs – time – risks
– Risk – Phased – Darwinian – time seperability
– Nodes – European national programmes
– Specs-table
– People – LLE – FP8
– ERIC – Governance ?
 Optical parametric amplifier (OPA)

difference frequency generation (DFG)

Pumpe
pump wave mixing:

Idler k1
e e d k3
idler
Idler S
α
Pump k2
opticsa exAischse
la
ch signal
Signal
?
Θ Photon momentum p = h·k
?
α k: Wellenvektor
nonlinear
nichtlinearer k3 = k2 – k1
optical
optischer
crystal
Kristall
 OPCPA design

• Large aperture DKDP crystals stage pump ampl. crystal

Lozhkarev et al. Laser Phys. Lett. 4, 421 (2007) energy signal length
• Total pump energy: 20 J @ 515 nm energy
Better use of available IR pump power
1 multiple
by 2.5beam
mJ 500 µJ scheme:
pumping 3.8 mm
• 1D modelling with saturation (pump depletion)
2 20 mJ 3.5 mJ 3.8 mm
• no dispersion included
3 200 mJ 40 mJ 3.5 mm
4 1J 169 mJ 3.0 mm
5 3J 722 mJ 2.8 mm
6 5J 1.7 J 2.4 mm
7 5J 2.8 J 1.7 mm
8 5J 3.8 J 1.5 mm

• Verify design with more sophisticated

calculations:
E.- “pseudo
Zeromskis 3D”:
et al.,2D
Optics
withComm. 203, 435 (2002)
cylindrical
A. Dubietis et al., JOSAB 15, 1135 (1998)
symmetry
- take into account dispersion by split-
step method
Zs. Major et al., Review of Laser Engineering, 37, 431 (2009) - effect on saturation on beam profile
 Advantages of the thin disk laser

Advantages of the thin disk lasers:

laser emission
• small thermal lens allows high beam quality
• effective cooling allows high pump densities (0,8 MW/cm³)
• energy and power scaling via area of the disk pump light
radial
• extremely high pulse energies possible via large aperture
• low nonlinearities (SPM) through thin amplifier medium
Yb:YAG as gain material (1030 nm):
cooling flat temperature profil
• very high quantum efficiency (91 %) – low heat generation through 1D-heat flow
radial
• high absorption bandwidth (10 nm) – low requirements
at the pump diodes (940 nm)
• no upconversion / excited state absorption

• high heat conduction and stress resistance of YAG

parabolic temperature profile through
• long life time of the 2D-heat conduction
upper laser level (~1 ms) cooling through back side
of the disk
• high emission bandwidtrod
(~6 nm) – short pulses possible
laser disk laser
 Principle of thin disk laser

Cooling finger with nozzle

Carrier:
(Cu, diamond)
Yb:YAG
disk

cooling
water
HR
AR

Disk parameter
thickness: 100 - 900 µm
diameter: 10 - 35 mm

+ effective cooling
+ small thermal lens
+ high pump power density 10 J/cm2
curtesy of + power/energy scalability ≈ (d)2
– moderate gain
Trumpf Laser GmbH
Front-end – where it all starts from

OPA Seed- & Pumplaser

optical synchronised

GDD = 108 fs²

∆λ = 4 nm @ λsignal = 1030 nm
τstretch = 730 ps

40 dB Verstärkung 1pJ → 1nJ

Yb:YAG-disk amplifier
150 round trips
35 mJ; 3.0 kHz; 210 ps
>100 W average power

GDD = -108 fs²; ∆λ = 1 nm

28 mJ puls energy @ 3.0 kHz
τcompressed = 1.6 ps → 15GW
 Front End - summary

1,0
Prototype (Yb:YAG; 1030 nm):
Norm. SH signal

AC duration 2,3 ps 25 mJ
pulse duration 1,6 ps
Gauss fit

0,5 Pulse duration 1.6 ps Size 1m x 2m

@ 25 mJ; 3 kHz
Average power 75 W
0,0
Repetition rate 1-10 kHz
-8 -6 -4 -2 0 2 4 6 8
Time in ps
Pulse duration 1.6 ps
1,0
Norm. Intensity

spectrum 25 mJ
Max. pulse energy 25 mJ @ 3 kHz
Bandwidth 1,03 nm
0,5 @ 25 mJ; 3 kHz Optical efficiency 34 %
no SPM Pulse- to Puls- stability < 0.7 %
0,0 Long-term stability (9h) ± 0.6 %
1025 1028 1030 1033 1035
Wavelength in nm System can probably be extended to 50-100 mJ at 1kHz
700 (longer pulses, increased beam diameter on disk)
Diameter in µm

600 horizontal
vertical
500
Beam quality M² < 1,1
400
300 @ 25 mJ; 3 kHz
200 λ
100 Θf M² = πω Θ
ωf f f
0 far field
0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350
Distance in mm Metzger et al. Opt. Lett. 34, 2123 (2009)
 Energy scaling via disk based amplifiers

disk mount

Yb:YAG disk

pumped area
Ø 3.0 mm
courtesy of: Trumpf Laser GmbH

• scaling factor 1 10 510

J OPA @ 1 kHz
• pump spot Ø 3 mm 9.5 mm 25
30Jmm
@ 515 nm
• pump power 300 W 3 kW 530
x 10
kWJ @ 1030 nm
• pulse energy 30 mJ 300 mJ 500
3 J kW pump diodes
• gain 1,2 @ 0,3 kW 1,2 1,2 100
1,2 mm Ø disk
• required V-passes 80 regen 13 multi large disk head
13 multi
through disk pass (100pass
kW pump light)
 Available thin disk amplifier heads

500 W diode pump power 5 kW diode pump power 12 kW diode pump power
Ø few mm; energy few mJ Ø 8 mm; energy: 500 mJ Ø 35 mm; Estimated Energy: 2-3 J

5 J OPA @ 1 kHz
25 J @ 515 nm
5 x 10 J @ 1030 nm
500 kW pump diodes
100 mm Ø disk
large disk head
(100 kW pump light)
Yb:YAG thin-disk amplifier currently under construction at the MPQ

pumplight (5 kW) • Multi pass under construction

homogenizer • 4,7kW diode pump light
• Pump spot Ø ~10mm
• Based on a Trumpf thin disk
• Up to 20 V-passes through the disk
• Expected puls energy: > 150mJ (3kHz)
• Expected completition end of 2010
 MBI in Berlin working on thin disk multipass amplifiers

► Prof. Wolfgang Sandner

► 100 Hz
► regenerative amp.: 165 mJ
► multipass amp.:
from 90 to 250 mJ
with 2 J pump energy
► multipass amp.:
expected energy 350 mJ
with 4 J pump energy
► goal.:
1J; < 5 ps
with 18 J total
pump energy
 The challenge with thin disk amplifiers: ASE

pump

la
se
light

rb
ea
AR coating m
amplified
Yb:YAG disk spontanious
HR coating emission

heat sink
► ASE
- caused by total reflection
between AR & HR coating
- supported by extreme high
water cooling pump power densities
1MW/cm³ (10kW/cm²)

- the thinner the disk the

higher the ASE

Jochen Speiser, „Thin Disk Laser – Energy Scaling,“ Laser - the larger the disk diameter
Physics 19, 274-280 (2009). the higher the ASE
 ASE: possible work around

► thin disk: high doping concentration

ASE - strong ASE (high pump power density)
+ good cooling (cool disk)

► thick disk: low doping concentration

ASE + low ASE (reduced pump power density)
- bad cooling (hot disk)

Yb:YAG disk
► bonded disk: high doping on undoped cap
undoped YAG ASE + low ASE
+ good cooling (cool disk)

► careful calculation of the amplifier required; bonded or even ceramic disks required, are there other tricks??

Jochen Speiser, „Thin Disk Laser – Energy Scaling,“ Laser

Physics 19, 274-280 (2009).
 Calculations for the multipass amplifier

► Time resolved model:

• spatial pump absorption

• spatial inversion
• ASE in the disk
• average temperatur
• calculations with 1 ms pump
pulse, 10% heat generation
• here: 10% duty cycle

=> Calculate max. stored

energy

Courtesy of Jochen Speiser

 Calculation: influence of duty cycle / disk thickness

► Energy extraction based on:

Lowdermilk, Murray, J. App.
Phys. 51(6), 2436 (1980)
initial pulse energy 100 mJ

• higher duty cycle leads to

higher temperature and less
extractable energy

• reducing disk thickness

increases ASE influnece

Courtesy of Jochen Speiser

 Calculation: influence of the pump spot size & pump power

► gain: pump power & pump

spot size
• reduced gain, less efficient
extraction with 8 kW

• at higher pump powers:

higher temperature and
stronger influence of ASE
due to increased radial gain

• “scaling limit” reached

between 16 kW and 20 kW
for this disk thickness

Courtesy of Jochen Speiser

 Calculation: double head amplifier each with reduced pump power

► Possible work-around:
• combine 2 disks in 1
multipass amplifier

• reduced pump spot diameter

reduces ASE

2 disks, total pump power

20kW sufficient to reach 1 J
with less than 15 reflections
at each disk

Further evaluation: higher

efficiency with two amplifier
stages for 100 mJ -> 1 J

Courtesy of Jochen Speiser

 Calculation: single or double disk amplifier

Courtesy of Jochen Speiser

 Synchronization on subps- and fs- scale

Ps: using the rf-masterclock of the LINAC

and stabilizing and locking both oscillators to each other
Synchronization on subps- and fs- scale
 Diode pump sources for thin disk lasers

► work on 50 kW
fiber bundle
20 Euro/Watt ??

► 13 kW fiber coupled
cw / pulsed (80µs rise time)
15 Euro/Watt
► work on >25 kW
multible fibers
Euro/Watt ??

► 10 kW cw / 12 kW pulsed, free beam

(80µs rise time) ► do it yourself :unlimited
13,5 Euro/Watt terrible dangerous 100kW free beam
 WP 7A last week

1. OPCPA front - end ( DPSSL ps pump up to Joule level)

Ro, Hu, Cz

2. Ti:sa (back-up) (DPSSL) Ro

 Conclusions

Front-End Available (50-100 mJ; 2 ps; 1kHz),

Ro
Current thin disk technology: ~ 2 Joule possible,
Ro
Numerical Modeling for Disk Amplifiers

Large disks / bonding technology required, Hu

powerful laser diodes required > 50 kW, Hu

large laser head needs to be developed, Hu

Synchronization possible on subps level and

fs-level conceivable to ERL Ro