ECLIPSE: Miniaturization of Ultra-High-Power Laser Systems with Plasma Grating Chirped Pulse Amplification

This project explores the use of plasma elements in the construction of high-power laser systems. Lasers are an important tool for both fundamental science and commercial applications, but the light intensity delivered by the most powerful systems is limited by damage to their glass and metal optics. Plasma can withstand much higher light intensity than glass or other solid materials without being damaged. Plasma could therefore enable the miniaturization of ultra-high-power lasers, but taking advantage of this robustness in practical devices has proven difficult. This project uses detailed measurements of the optical properties of plasmas to improve the performance of plasma optics and integrate them into the design of short-pulse laser systems. Specific objectives are the improvement of plasma optic stability and the development of optics with properties suitable for use in larger systems. The overall goal is to develop laser architectures that integrate plasma components effectively, ultimately enabling higher power in smaller laser system footprints. This project will investigate the use of volumetric plasma transmission gratings in the design of chirped-pulse-amplification femtosecond laser systems, with the goal of developing architectures suitable for compact multi-petawatt lasers. Pump lasers can be used to shape plasmas with wavelength-scale optical-quality variations in density, allowing the creation of plasma transmission gratings and other diffractive optics. This type of plasma optic is relatively resilient to plasma density imperfections and further improvements in optical quality and stability could enable the replacement of solid-state diffraction gratings with plasma analogues, dramatically shrinking the size of the optics required for high-power femtosecond systems. This project focuses on the scientific and practical issues between demonstration of optical control with a plasma grating and the development of terawatt-scale plasma-based pulse compression, including grating stability, energy scaling, and the design of an optimal compressor architecture. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.