Figure. The first sub-10 femtosecond Ti:sapphire laser, with graduate studnets Chung-Po Huang and Melanie Asaki. Opt. Lett. 18, 977 (1993); Opt. Lett. 19, 1149 (1994).
Science and technology are inextricably linked and continue to drive each other. Ultrafast lasers have revolutionized our understanding of how molecules and materials work and how charges, spins, phonons and photons interact dynamically. In past research, our group designed Ti:sapphire lasers that operate at the limits of pulse duration and stability, with adjustable pulse durations from 7 fs on up. These lasers are now a standard fixture in thousands of laboratories worldwide (including several other JILA labs). More recently, we developed tabletop high peak-power, high average-power lasers with unprecedented short pulse duration, spanning the UV to the mid-infrared regions of the spectrum.
Our latest laser science projects involve developing mid-infrared lasers that are optimized for driving bright soft X-ray high harmonic beams, in a simple and compact setup that is optimized for applications. These tabletop-scale lasers are based on cryogenic-cooling of the amplifier crystal. This new laser system will make it possible to extend many successful applications of high harmonic generation from the EUV to the soft X-ray region of the spectrum. We are also continually developing new laser designs, diagnostics, and optical elements in our group.
See also www.kmlabs.com
Figure. A new generation of high average power cryogenically-cooled lasers are the ideal drivers for high harmonic generation.
Related Publications and News Articles
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S. Backus, M. Kirchner, C. Durfee, M. Murnane, H. Kapteyn, “Direct diode-pumped Kerr Lens 13 fs Ti:sapphire ultrafast oscillator using a single blue laser diode,” Optics Express 25(11) 12469–12477 (2017). DOI: 10.1364/OE.25.012469
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S. Backus, M. Kirchner, R. Lemons, D. Schmidt, C. Durfee, M. Murnane, H. Kapteyn, “Direct diode pumped Ti:sapphire ultrafast regenerative amplifier system,” Optics Express 25(4), 3666–3674 (2017). DOI: 10.1364/OE.25.003666
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C. Ding, W. Xiong, T. Fan, D. D. Hickstein, T. Popmintchev, X. Zhang, Mike Walls, Margaret M. Murnane, and Henry C. Kapteyn, “High flux coherent super-continuum soft X-ray source driven by a single-stage, 10mJ,
Ti:sapphire amplifier-pumped OPA,” Optics Express 22(5), 6194–6202 (2014). DOI: 10.1364/OE.22.006194 -
X. Zhang, E. Schneider, G. Taft, H. Kaptyen, M. Murnane, S. Backus, “Multi-microjoule, MHz repetition rate Ti:sapphire ultrafast regenerative amplifier system,” Optics Express 20, 7015-7021 (2012). DOI:10.1364/OE.20.007015
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C. G. Durfee, T. Storz, J. Garlick, S. Hill, J. A. Squier, M. Kirchner, G. Taft, K. Shea, H. Kapteyn, M. Murnane, S. Backus, “Direct diode-pumped Kerr-lens mode-locked Ti:sapphire laser,” Optics Express 20, 13677 (2012). DOI:10.1364/OE.20.013677
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G. Andriukaitis, T. Balčiūnas, S. Ališauskas, A. Pugžlys, A. Baltuška, T. Popmintchev, M.-C. Chen, M.M. Murnane, H.C. Kapteyn, “90 GW peak power few-cycle mid-infrared pulses from an optical parametric amplifier,” Optics Letters 36, 2755 (2011). DOI:10.1364/OL.36.002755