Design of an amplifier based on optical parametric chirped pulse amplification technique (OPCPA)

The development of peta-watt lasers is useful for inertial fusion studies. The optical parametric chirped pulse amplification (OPCPA) technique allows energy transfer from a high power narrow bandwidth pumping wave to a low power broad bandwidth wave. An amplifier based on a beta-barium borate (BBO) non-linear crystal and a Nd:Yag (532 nm) pumping laser has been designed and has enabled us to amplify femtosecond (800 nm) impulses issued from a Ti:Sa oscillator and stretched to 200 ps. The optical system is presented and a gain of 250 has been checked