Development of advanced high energy, high pulse rate laser architectures for industrial, healthcare and scientific applications.

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

The DiPOLE laser architecture developed at the STFC Central Laser Facility combines high pulse energy with high pulse rate at high efficiency. Recent results include the amplification of 10 ns pulses to 146 J at 10 Hz with an optical-to-optical efficiency of 30%. With further development, this technology has the potential to revolutionise materials processing and drive new diagnostic capabilities for high value manufacturing and healthcare.DiPOLE technology will also be at the heart of EPAC, a new UK national research centre hosting a petawatt laser operating at an unprecedented 10 Hz repetition rate. EPAC will explore applications in material technology, advanced radiography and fundamental science.This project will focus on the development of "next generation" DiPOLE architectures with a particular emphasis on solutions supporting improvements in output pulse energy, efficiency and bandwidth.The candidate will be responsible for their own research activities, ranging from theoretical modelling to prototyping. Research will span the development of advanced laser extraction architectures, investigation of alternative gain materials and innovative pumping solutions. The candidate will have the opportunity to implement some of the solutions identified as part of this project in the EPAC system and assess the commercial exploitability of DiPOLE technology.This project will push DiPOLE systems to next level and analyse energy capabilities beyond 150 J. It will explore new multi-pass architecture for the amplifier, improved control of parameters (e.g. polarization), as well as using mixed gain media materials for amplification of shorter pulses.