Large aperture harmonic conversion experiments at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

Improving fourth harmonic generation performance by elevating the operation temperature of ADP crystal

In current inertial confinement fusion (ICF) facilities, potassium dihydrogen phosphate (KH2PO4, KDP) type crystals are the only nonlinear optical (NLO) materials that can satisfy the aperture requirement of the ICF laser driver. Ammonium dihydrogen phosphate (NH4H2PO4, ADP) crystal is a typical isomer of KDP crystal, with a large nonlinear optical coefficient, high ultraviolet transmittance, and large growth sizes, which is an important deep ultraviolet (UV) NLO material. In this paper, we investigated the effect of ADP temperature on its fourth-harmonic-generation (FHG) performance. When the temperature of the ADP crystal was elevated to 48.9 °C, the 90° phase-matched FHG of the 1064 nm laser was realized. Compared with the 79° phase-matched FHG at room temperature (23.0 °C), the output energy at 266 nm, conversion efficiency, angular acceptance, and laser-induced damage threshold (LIDT) increased 113%, 71%, 623%, 19.6%, respectively. It shows that elevating ADP temperature is an efficient method to improve its deep UV frequency conversion properties, which may also be available to other NLO crystals. This discovery provides a very valuable technology for the future development of UV, deep UV lasers in ICF facilities.

Noncritically phase-matched fourth-harmonic generation of Nd:glass lasers and design of final optics assembly

The noncritically phase-matched (NCPM) fourth-harmonic generation (FHG) with partially deuterated dihydrogen phosphate (KD*P) crystal at an Nd:glass laser radiation wavelength of 1053.1 nm has been confirmed. NCPM FHG has been achieved in 70% and 65% deuterated KD*P crystal at the temperature of 17.7°C and 29.3°C, respectively. The angular acceptance of 70% and 65% deuterated KD*P crystals fixed at their NCPM temperature were measured, which were 53 and 55 mrad, respectively. The application of the NCPM FHG in a high-power laser facility for inertial confinement fusion is also discussed. Based on the theoretical analysis, the NCPM KD*P can be placed after the focus lens; thus, the laser-induced damage of a fused-silica lens at ultraviolet can be avoided.

Growth and highly efficient third harmonic generation of ammonium dihydrogen phosphate crystals

ADP crystals were grown, and their optical properties including third harmonic generation were measured.

Room temperature, high-efficiency, noncritical phase-matching fourth harmonic generation in partially deuterated ADP crystal

High-efficiency frequency conversion into the deep ultraviolet in a partially deuterated ammonium dihydrogen phosphate (ADP) crystal is reported. For a 60% deuterated ADP crystal, the spontaneous Raman scattering intensity decreased by 38% compared with that of a pristine ADP crystal. At room temperature (24°C), noncritical phase-matching fourth harmonic generation of a 1053 nm laser was realized. The angular acceptance was 55.7 mrad, and the external conversion efficiency from 526 to 263 nm reached 85.3%.

High efficiency 12.5 J second-harmonic generation from CsLiB6O10 nonlinear crystal by diode-pumped Nd:glass laser

A 12.5 J second-harmonic generation with 71.5% conversion efficiency at 0.6 Hz repetition rate from a diode-pumped Nd:glass laser system has been demonstrated by using a CsLiB(6)O(10) (CLBO) nonlinear optical crystal as a frequency doubler. The CLBO has aperture of 40 mm x 40 mm and thickness of 14 mm with Type-II phase matching. The CLBO is mounted into a housing which flows dry nitrogen gas on the CLBO's face. There is no significant reduction of conversion efficiency by exposing of over 600,000 shots for intermissive experiment during 3 years. In our knowledge, these experimental results of output energy and conversion efficiency are highest performance as second-harmonic generation of a diode-pumped solid state laser by using one CLBO nonlinear crystal. In this paper, potential of the CLBO as a frequency converter for repetitive kJ class laser is discussed.

Noncritically phase-matched fourth harmonic generation of Nd:glass lasers in partially deuterated KDP crystals

Noncritically phase-matched (NCPM) fourth harmonic generation (FHG) of Nd:glass laser radiation in partially deuterated dihydrogen phosphate (KD*P) crystals has been demonstrated. At an Nd:glass laser wavelength of 1053.0 nm, NCPM FHG is achieved in 70% deuterated KD*P at a crystal temperature of 18.5±0.1 °C. Tuning the fundamental laser wavelength from 1052.9 to 1053.2 nm, FHG in KD*P is NCPM by changing the crystal temperature from 17.9 °C to 20.5 °C. When driven with 2.4 J of second harmonic radiation in a 3 ns flat-top pulse, corresponding to 1 GW/cm(2) 2ω drive intensity, 1.9 J of fourth harmonic radiation was generated in a 6 mm long KD*P crystal, yielding a second to fourth harmonic energy conversion efficiency of 79%.

Harmonic conversion of large-aperture 1.05-microm laser beams for inertial-confinement fusion research

To provide high-energy, high-power beams at short wavelengths for inertial-confinement fusion experiments, we routinely convert the 1.05-microm output of the Nova, Nd:phosphate-glass, laser system to its second- or third-harmonic wavelength. We describe the design and performance of the 3 x 3 arrays of potassium dihydrogen phosphate crystal plates used for type-II-type-II phase-matched harmonic conversion of the Nova 0.74-m diameter beams. We also describe an alternate type-I-type-II phasematching configuration that improves third-harmonic conversion efficiency. These arrays provide conversion of a Nova beam of up to 75% to the second harmonic and of up to 70% to the third harmonic.

Novel dichroic beam separator for frequency-doubled lasers

A novel glass rhomb has been demonstrated for separating the residual fundamental beam from the harmonic beam in a frequency-doubled or frequency-tripled laser. This device features simple fabrication, damage resistance of uncoated glass, essentially loss-free transmittance for the harmonic beam, high (> 95%) rejection of the fundamental, mechanical and thermal stability, and high optical quality.

Research with High-Power Short-Wavelength Lasers

Three high-temperature, high-density experments were conducted recently with the 10-terawatt, short-wavelength Novette laser system at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. The experiments demonstrated successful solutions to problems that arose during previous laser-plasma interaction experiments with long-wavelength (greater than 1 micrometer) lasers: (i) large-scale plasmas, with dimensions approaching those needed for high-gain inertial fusion targets, were produced in which potentially deleterious laser-plasma instabilities were collisionally damped; (ii) deuterium-tritium fuel was imploded to a density of 20 grams per cubic centimeter and a pressure of 10(10) atmospheres under the improved laser conditions, and compression conditions (preheating and pressure) were consistent with code calculations that predict efficient (high-gain) burn of a large thermonuclear fuel mass when driven with a large, short-wavelength laser; and (iii) soft x-rays were amplified by a factor of 700 by stimulated emission at 206 and 209 angstroms (62 electron volts) from selenium ions in a laser-generated plasma. These small, short-pulse x-ray sources are 10(10) to 10(11) times brighter than the most powerful x-ray generators and synchrotron sources available today. The plasma conditions for these experiments were made possible by advances in Nd:glass laser technology, in techniques to generate efficiently its short-wavelength harmonics at 0.53, 0.35, and 0.26 micrometers, and in diagnostic and computational modeling.