Graduate Exam Abstract
Brendan Reagan
Ph.D. Final
December 15, 2011, 2:00
Engineering E103
Development of a high energy diode-pumped chirped pulse amplification laser system for driving soft x-ray lasers
Abstract: There is significant interest in the development of compact high repetition rate soft x-ray lasers for applications. This dissertation describes the development of a high energy, laser diode pumped, chirped pulse amplification laser system for driving soft x-ray lasers in the 10-20 nm spectral region. The compact laser system combines room temperature and cryogenically-cooled Yb:YAG amplifiers to produce Joule-level pulses with 5 ps duration at high repetition rates. A room temperature pre-amplifier manteins bandwidth for short pulse operation and cryogenic cooling of the power amplifier enables the high average power operation of this system. This laser was used to drive a soft x-ray laser on the 18.9nm line of nickel-like molybdenum. This is the first demonstration of a soft x-ray laser driven by an all diode-pumped laser.
Adviser: Jorge Rocca
Co-Adviser: N/A
Non-ECE Member: Dave Krueger, Physics
Member 3: Carmen Menoni, ECE
Addional Members: Mario Marconi, ECE
Publications:
B. Reagan, A. Curtis, K. Wernsing, F. Furch, B. Luther, and J. Rocca, "Development of High Energy Diode-Pumped Thick-Disk Yb:YAG Chirped-Pulse- Amplification Lasers," IEEE Journal of Quantum Electronics, (submitted).
A. Curtis, B. Reagan, K. Wernsing, F. Furch, B. Luther, and J. Rocca, "Demonstration of a compact 100 Hz, 0.1 J, diode-pumped picosecond laser," Opt. Lett. 36, 2164-2166 (2011).
F. Furch, B. Reagan, B. Luther, A. Curtis, S. Meehan, and J. Rocca, "Demonstration of an all-diode-pumped soft x-ray laser," Opt. Lett. 34, 3352-3354 (2009).
B. Reagan, T. Popmintchev, M. E. Grisham, D. Gaudiosi, M. Berrill1, O. Cohen, B. Walker, M. Murnane, J. Rocca, and H. C. Kapteyn, "Enhanced high-order harmonic generation from Xe, Kr, and Ar in a capillary discharge," Phys. Rev. A. 76, 013816 (2007).
D. M. Gaudiosi, B. Reagan, T. Popmintchev, M. Grisham, M. Berrill, O. Cohen, B.C. Walker, M. M. Murnane, H.C. Kapteyn, and J.J. Rocca, "High-Order Harmonic Generation from Ions in a Capillary Discharge," Phys. Rev. Lett. 96, 203001 (2006).
Program of Study:
ECE641
ECE642
PH651
PH652
PH531
ECE795
N/A
N/A
