Final Report Summary - PECS (Powerful and Efficient EUV Coherent Light Sources)
Coherent, pulsed short-wavelength radiation has the potential to help to answer fundamental questions in physics, biology and chemistry. Typically, such radiation is generated in large-scale facilities. Laser-based generation by means of high gas harmonics is an interesting alternative. The main goal of PECS is the investigation of high-performance ultrafast laser architectures to serve as drivers for powerful coherent EUV radiation, meaning tabletop systems with enhanced EUV photon flux in order to enable a number of novel applications in that interesting spectral region.
The first two years of the project PECS were devoted to novel large-mode area fiber designs, proof-of-principle experiments of coherent addition of femtosecond pulses as performance scaling approach and the setup of a high harmonic chamber capable of handling high average powers. More details can be found in the mid-term report.
The second part of the project continued these investigations with a focus on understanding of modal instabilities in high power fiber amplifiers, spatially separated amplification of ultrashort laser pulses and tailored EUV light generation towards the generation of isolated attosecond pulses and harmonics with greater than 100µW of average power.
The project PECS has significantly pushed high repetition rate few-cyle laser systems and their use in high field physics. During the project my team has developed new understanding in the interplay of high average power laser and parametric amplifiers. Based on that we are operating the most powerful MHz repetition rate OPCPA system in the world. This unique system enabled us to generate isolated attosecond pulses at repetition rates close to 1MHz, what is a 200-fold increase in repetition rate compared to previously published results. The new and exciting research filed "Attosecond Science" will certainly benefit from these developments.
The first two years of the project PECS were devoted to novel large-mode area fiber designs, proof-of-principle experiments of coherent addition of femtosecond pulses as performance scaling approach and the setup of a high harmonic chamber capable of handling high average powers. More details can be found in the mid-term report.
The second part of the project continued these investigations with a focus on understanding of modal instabilities in high power fiber amplifiers, spatially separated amplification of ultrashort laser pulses and tailored EUV light generation towards the generation of isolated attosecond pulses and harmonics with greater than 100µW of average power.
The project PECS has significantly pushed high repetition rate few-cyle laser systems and their use in high field physics. During the project my team has developed new understanding in the interplay of high average power laser and parametric amplifiers. Based on that we are operating the most powerful MHz repetition rate OPCPA system in the world. This unique system enabled us to generate isolated attosecond pulses at repetition rates close to 1MHz, what is a 200-fold increase in repetition rate compared to previously published results. The new and exciting research filed "Attosecond Science" will certainly benefit from these developments.