<title>Compact ultrahigh-power laser systems</title>

Abstract

Compact sources of high energy ultrashort pulses are described. Femtosecond and picosecond optical pulses with microjoule energies are obtained using chirped-pulse fiber amplifiers. Mode-locked fiber lasers and fast-tuned laser diodes are used to generate initial pulses for amplification. Efficient frequency conversion of amplified pulses is demonstrated and microjoule second-harmonic pulses are produced. The first all-fiber chirped pulse amplification circuit is demonstrated. It uses in-fiber chirped Bragg gratings, which replaces conventional diffraction-grating compressors and stretchers.