Ultrahigh Intensity Few-Cycle Lasers

Abstract

We review progress in the generation of ultrahigh-intensity optical pulses in a few-cycle regime. A design of a Generation of ENergetic Beam Ultimate (GENBU) laser based on optical parametric chirped-pulse amplification, which will be produced a peak power of up to 6-PW with a variable pulse durations ranging from 5-fs to 8-ps is described. Ultra-broadband optical parametric chirped-pulse amplification pumped by a picosecond laser pulse delivered from a diode-pumped, cryogenically-cooled Yb: YLF chirped-pulse amplification laser is also reported.