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Diode-Pumped High-Energy Laser Amplifiers for Ultrashort Laser Pulses / Diodengepumpte hochenergetische Laserverstärker für ultrakurze Laserpulse. Das PENELOPE LasersystemLoeser, Markus 22 January 2018 (has links) (PDF)
The ultrashort chirped pulse amplification (CPA) laser technology opens the path to high intensities of 10^21 W/cm² and above in the laser focus. Such intensities allow laser-matter interaction in the relativistic intensity regime. Direct diode-pumped ultrashort solid-state lasers combine high-energy, high-power and efficient amplification together, which are the main advantages compared to flashlamp-pumped high-energy laser systems based on titanium-doped sapphire. Development within recent years in the field of laser diodes makes them more and more attractive in terms of total costs, compactness and lifetime.
This work is dedicated to the Petawatt, ENergy-Efficient Laser for Optical Plasma Experiments (PENELOPE) project, a fully and directly diode-pumped laser system under development at the Helmholtz–Zentrum Dresden – Rossendorf (HZDR), aiming at 150 fs long pulses with energies of up to 150 J at repetition rates of up to 1 Hz. The focus of this thesis lies on the spectral and width manipulation of the front-end amplifiers, trivalent ytterbium-doped calcium fluoride (Yb3+:CaF2) as gain material as well as the pump source for the final two main amplifiers of the PENELOPE laser system. Here, all crucial design parameters were investigated and a further successful scaling of the laser system to its target values was shown.
Gain narrowing is the dominant process for spectral bandwidth reduction during the amplification at the high-gain front-end amplifiers. Active or passive spectral gain control
filter can be used to counteract this effect. A pulse duration of 121 fs was achieved by using a passive spectral attenuation inside a regenerative amplifier, which corresponds to an improvement by a factor of almost 2 compared to the start of this work. A proof-of-concept experiment showed the capability of the pre-shaping approach. A spectral bandwidth of 20nm was transferred through the first multipass amplifier at a total gain of 300. Finally, the predicted output spectrum calculated by a numerical model of the final amplifier stages was in a good agreement with the experimental results.
The spectroscopic properties of Yb3+:CaF2 matches the constraints for ultrashort laser pulse amplification and direct diode pumping. Pumping close to the zero phonon line at 976nm is preferable compared to 940nm as the pump intensity saturation is significantly lower. A broad gain cross section of up to 50nm is achievable for typical inversion levels. Furthermore, moderate cryogenic temperatures (above 200K) can be used to improve the amplification performance of Yb3+:CaF2. The optical quality of the doped crystals currently available on the market is sufficient to build amplifiers in the hundred joule range.
The designed pump source for the last two amplifiers is based on two side pumping in a double pass configuration. However, this concept requires the necessity of brightness conservation for the installed laser diodes. Therefore, a fully relay imaging setup (4f optical system) along the optical path from the stacks to the gain material including the global beam homogenization was developed in a novel approach.
Beside these major parts the amplifier architecture and relay imaging telescopes as well as temporal intensity contrast (TIC) was investigated. An all reflective concept for the relay imaging amplifiers and telescopes was selected, which results in several advantages especially an achromatic behavior and low B-Integral. The TIC of the front-end was improved, as the pre- and postpulses due to the plane-parallel active-mirror was eliminated by wedging the gain medium.
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Diode-Pumped High-Energy Laser Amplifiers for Ultrashort Laser Pulses: The PENELOPE Laser SystemLöser, Markus 22 January 2018 (has links)
The ultrashort chirped pulse amplification (CPA) laser technology opens the path to high intensities of 10^21 W/cm² and above in the laser focus. Such intensities allow laser-matter interaction in the relativistic intensity regime. Direct diode-pumped ultrashort solid-state lasers combine high-energy, high-power and efficient amplification together, which are the main advantages compared to flashlamp-pumped high-energy laser systems based on titanium-doped sapphire. Development within recent years in the field of laser diodes makes them more and more attractive in terms of total costs, compactness and lifetime.
This work is dedicated to the Petawatt, ENergy-Efficient Laser for Optical Plasma Experiments (PENELOPE) project, a fully and directly diode-pumped laser system under development at the Helmholtz–Zentrum Dresden – Rossendorf (HZDR), aiming at 150 fs long pulses with energies of up to 150 J at repetition rates of up to 1 Hz. The focus of this thesis lies on the spectral and width manipulation of the front-end amplifiers, trivalent ytterbium-doped calcium fluoride (Yb3+:CaF2) as gain material as well as the pump source for the final two main amplifiers of the PENELOPE laser system. Here, all crucial design parameters were investigated and a further successful scaling of the laser system to its target values was shown.
Gain narrowing is the dominant process for spectral bandwidth reduction during the amplification at the high-gain front-end amplifiers. Active or passive spectral gain control
filter can be used to counteract this effect. A pulse duration of 121 fs was achieved by using a passive spectral attenuation inside a regenerative amplifier, which corresponds to an improvement by a factor of almost 2 compared to the start of this work. A proof-of-concept experiment showed the capability of the pre-shaping approach. A spectral bandwidth of 20nm was transferred through the first multipass amplifier at a total gain of 300. Finally, the predicted output spectrum calculated by a numerical model of the final amplifier stages was in a good agreement with the experimental results.
The spectroscopic properties of Yb3+:CaF2 matches the constraints for ultrashort laser pulse amplification and direct diode pumping. Pumping close to the zero phonon line at 976nm is preferable compared to 940nm as the pump intensity saturation is significantly lower. A broad gain cross section of up to 50nm is achievable for typical inversion levels. Furthermore, moderate cryogenic temperatures (above 200K) can be used to improve the amplification performance of Yb3+:CaF2. The optical quality of the doped crystals currently available on the market is sufficient to build amplifiers in the hundred joule range.
The designed pump source for the last two amplifiers is based on two side pumping in a double pass configuration. However, this concept requires the necessity of brightness conservation for the installed laser diodes. Therefore, a fully relay imaging setup (4f optical system) along the optical path from the stacks to the gain material including the global beam homogenization was developed in a novel approach.
Beside these major parts the amplifier architecture and relay imaging telescopes as well as temporal intensity contrast (TIC) was investigated. An all reflective concept for the relay imaging amplifiers and telescopes was selected, which results in several advantages especially an achromatic behavior and low B-Integral. The TIC of the front-end was improved, as the pre- and postpulses due to the plane-parallel active-mirror was eliminated by wedging the gain medium.
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Photon Upconversion Sensitized Rare-Earth Fluoride NanoparticlesMonks, Melissa-Jane 26 June 2023 (has links)
Aufkonversions-Nanokristalle (UCNC) zeichnen sich als einzigartige Lumineszenzreporter aus, die Nah-infrarotes Anregungslicht in Photonen höherer Energie umwandeln. Für die gezielte Anpassung von Eigenschaften, bedarf es ein tiefes Verständnis der Prozesse der Aufwärtskonversionslumineszenz (UCL) und deren Abhängigkeit von Material und Partikeldesign.
Diese Doktorarbeit untersucht die UCL-Prozesse von Yb3+,Er3+ dotierten SrF2-UCNC und zielt darauf ab, die UCL-Eigenschaften der bisher unterschätzten kubischen Wirtsgitter zu verstehen und zu steigern. Hierbei wird die fluorolytische Sol-Gel-Synthese als neuartige Syntheseroute für UCNC vorgestellt. Vorteile wie ausgezeichnete Reproduzierbarkeit, viele Freiheitsgrade bei der Temperaturbehandlung und Partikelgestaltung werden anhand von SrF2 UCNC demonstriert.
Die UCNC wurden mittels UCL-Spektren, UCL-Quantenausbeuten, leistungsdichte-abhängiger relativer spektraler Verteilung sowie der Lumineszenzabklingkinetiken unter Einbeziehung kristalliner Eigenschaften wie der Kristallphase, der Kristallitgröße, der Gitterparameter und der Teilchengröße untersucht.
Die Abhängigkeit der UCL-Eigenschaften von der Dotierungsmenge wurde mit einer umfassenden Dotierungsreihe beschrieben und der optimale Dotierungsbereich (Yb3+,Er3+) von kleinen, ungeschalten SrF2-UCNC eingegrenzt. Bei der Studie dotierter Kerne mit passivierenden Schalen wurde der Einfluss von Temperaturbehandlung auf die UCL-Mechanismen und die Kern-Schale-Vermischung untersucht. Anhand von unterschiedlich kalzinierten UCNC Pulvern wurde die Empfindlichkeit der UCL gegenüber der Änderung kristalliner Eigenschaften, wie Kristallphase, Kristallinität, und Kristallitgröße betrachtet. Zusammen liefern die Dotierungs-, die Kern-Schale- und die Kalzinierungsstudie wertvolle Einblicke in das gitterspezifische Verhalten der UCL-Eigenschaften als Funktion der Energiemigration und der Kristalleigenschaften. / Upconversion nanocrystals (UCNC) represent a unique type of luminescence reporters that convert near-infrared excitation light into higher energy photons. Tailoring UCNC with specific luminescence properties requires an in-depth understanding of upconversion luminescence (UCL) processes and their dependence on material and particle design.
This Ph.D. thesis focuses on the UCL processes of Yb3+,Er3+ doped SrF2-UCNC and aims to understand and enhance the UCL properties of the previously underestimated cubic host lattices. Herein, fluorolytic sol-gel synthesis is introduced as a novel synthetic route for UCNC. Advantages such as excellent reproducibility, high flexibility in temperature treatment and particle design are demonstrated using SrF2 UCNC.
The UCNC were characterized by UCL spectra, UCL quantum yields, excitation power density-dependent relative spectral distribution, and luminescence decay kinetics involving crystalline properties such as crystal phase, crystallite size, lattice parameters, and particle size.
The dependence of UCL properties on doping amount was described in a comprehensive doping study, and the optimal doping range (Yb3+,Er3+) of small, unshelled SrF2-UCNC was identified.
In a core-shell study of doped core UCNC with passivating shells, the influence of temperature treatment on UCL mechanisms and core-shell mixing was investigated. Further, using different calcined UCNC powders, the sensitivity of UCL to the change of crystalline properties, such as crystal phase, crystallinity, and crystallite size, was assessed. Together, the doping, core-shell, and calcination studies provide valuable insight into the lattice-specific behavior of UCL properties as a function of energy migration and crystal properties.
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