LASER SOURCE HAVING A PEAK POWER OF MORE THAN 100 TERAWATTS AND HIGH CONTRAST

摘要

The invention relates to a laser source capable of emitting energy pulses greater than or equal to 100 terawatts consisting of a laser system including the following cascaded elements: a solid state laser oscillator (1); a first amplification stage (2) with frequency drift; and a final amplification stage (6) with frequency drift; and a first filter having one or two nonlinear crystals and a third order nonlinear optical susceptibility capable of generating a crossed polarization wave referred to as a nonlinear crossed polarization filter (3) and inserted between said two amplification stages (2 6). The laser system further includes between the first (2) and the final (6) amplification phases at least one other nonlinear crossed polarization filter (5) or N filters in the system where N=2 and N 1 dispersion compensator(s) (4) placed at the output of the first filter(s) (3) respectively.