We report on the status of the re-commissioning of a high energy OPCPA laser system with programmable spectrum that serves as a frontend for a 10 PW laser at ELI-Beamlines. The OPCPA chain was developed by a consortium of National Energetics and Ekspla along with scientists of ELI-Beamlines.1 The laser system, consisting of three picosecond OPCPA stages, pulse cleaner, Offner stretcher, and 5 nanosecond OPCPA stages pumped by Nd:YAG lasers with programmable pulse shape (NL944, Ekspla), allows for precise spectral shaping while achieving high nonlinear conversion efficiency. Employing a subsequent Nd:glass power amplifiers (PA), the system was demonstrated to yield>1 kJ of energy, while maintaining broad spectrum of > 13 nm (FWHM). After recommissioning the OPCPA frontend in Dolní Břežany, an output energy of 4.3 J, flat beam-profile and good far-field quality has been demonstrated. The spectral shape has been optimized to support > 15 nm bandwidth and >1.5 kJ, consistent with 10 PW operation of the fully integrated laser system after compression.

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František Batysta, Roman Antipenkov, Jan Bartoníček, Štěpán Vyhlídka, Pavel Trojek, Teddy J. Borger, Jonas Kolenda, April Kissinger, Jonathan T. Green, Robertas Kananavicius, Gilles Chériaux, Jeffrey A. Jarboe, Sandra Bruce, Jan Hubáček, Gavin Friedman, Eric Beutlich, Chris Malato, Jack A. Naylon, Dave Hidinger, Erhard Gaul, Daniel Kramer, Michael Donovan, Todd Ditmire, and Bedřich Rus, "Spectral shaping of a 5 Hz, multi-joule OPCPA frontend for a 10  PW laser system," Proc. SPIE 11034, Short-pulse High-energy Lasers and Ultrafast Optical Technologies, 110340C (Presented at SPIE Optics + Optoelectronics: April 01, 2019; Published: 26 April 2019); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2524951.