Stretching and compression of laser pulses by means of high efficiency volume diffractive gratings with variable periods in photo-thermo-refractive glass
AssigneesUniversity of Central Florida Research Foundation, Inc., University of Michigan
InventorsLeonid Glebov, Emilie Flecher, Vadim Smirnov, Almantas Galvanauskas, Kai-Hsiu Liao
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Abstract
High efficiency reflective volume Bragg gratings with chirped gratings recorded in photo-thermo-refractive glass having an absolute diffraction efficiency exceeding 95% in transmitting and reflecting modes are used to stretch and/or compress ultrashort laser pulses with high efficiency. Robustness, compactness, thermal and laser stability along with placement of multiple elements in the same space provides femtosecond laser system with high efficiency of stretching and re-compression of femtosecond pulses.
Claims11
A diffractive optical element comprising:
- a photo-thermal-diffractive element having an absolute diffraction efficiency exceeding 95%;
- and
- chirped Bragg gratings recorded in said photo-thermal-diffractive element for stretching and compressing of short laser pulses with high efficiency for power amplification.
A method for power amplification of short laser pulses comprising the steps of:
- providing a photo-thermal-diffractive element having an absolute diffraction efficiency exceeding 95%;
- and
- recording chirped Bragg grating in said photo-thermal-diffractive element to produce a high efficiency diffractive element, wherein the chirped Bragg gratins vary along a spatial element for controlling spectral selectivity and stretching and compressing short laser pulses.
A femtosecond laser system comprising:
- a femtosecond laser for generating an output beam having short pulses;
- a photo-thermo-refractive volume diffractive element having Bragg grating having chirped gratings recorded therein for stretching and compressing said short pulses for power amplification.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.