This paper presents the development and experimental utilization of a synchronized off-harmonic laser system designed as a probe for ultra-intense laser–plasma interaction experiments. The system exhibits a novel seed-generation design, allowing for a variable pulse duration spanning over more than three orders of magnitude, from 3.45 picoseconds to 10 nanoseconds. This makes it suitable for various plasma diagnostics and visualization techniques. In a side-view configuration, the laser was employed for interferometry and streaked shadowgraphy of a laser-induced plasma while successfully suppressing the self-emission background of the laser–plasma interaction, resulting in a signal-to-self-emission ratio of 110 for this setup. These properties enable the probe to yield valuable insights into the plasma dynamics and interactions at the PHELIX facility and to be deployed at various laser facilities due to its easy-to-implement design.

We report here the first hundred-watt continuouswave fiber gas laser in H2-filled hollow-core photonic crystal fiber (PCF) by stimulated Raman scattering. The pump source is a homemade narrow-linewidth fiber oscillator with a 3 dB linewidth of 0.15 nm at the maximum output power of 380 W. To efficiently and stably couple several-hundred-watt pump power into the hollow core and seal the gas, a hollow-core fiber end-cap is fabricated and used at the input end. A maximum power of 110 W at 1153 nm is obtained in a 5 m long hollow-core PCF filled with 36 bar H2, and the conversion efficiency of the first Stokes power is around 48.9%. This work paves the way for high-power fiber gas Raman lasers.

The Be-based materials with many particular properties lead to an important research subject. The investigation progresses in the fabrication technologies are introduced here, including main three kinds of Be-based materials, such as Be–Cu capsule, $\text{Be}_{2}\text{C}$ ablator and high-purity Be material. Compared with the pioneer workgroup on Be-based materials, the differences in Be–Cu target fabrication were described, and a grain refinement technique by an active hydrogen reaction for Be coating was proposed uniquely. $\text{Be}_{2}\text{C}$ coatings were first prepared by the DC reactive magnetron sputtering with a high deposition rate $({\sim}300~\text{nm}/\text{h})$. Pure polycrystalline $\text{Be}_{2}\text{C}$ films with uniform microstructures, smooth surface, high density $({\sim}2.2~\text{g}\cdot \text{cm}^{3})$ and good optical transparency were fabricated. In addition, the high-purity Be materials with metal impurities in a ppm magnitude were fabricated by the pyrolysis of organometallic Be.

We present the main features of the ultrashort, high-intensity laser installation at the Intense Laser Irradiation Laboratory (ILIL) including laser, beam transport and target area specifications. The laboratory was designed to host laser–target interaction experiments of more than 220 TW peak power, in flexible focusing configurations, with ultrarelativistic intensity on the target. Specifications have been established via dedicated optical diagnostic assemblies and commissioning interaction experiments. In this paper we give a summary of laser specifications available to users, including spatial, spectral and temporal contrast features. The layout of the experimental target areas is presented, with attention to the available configurations of laser focusing geometries and diagnostics. Finally, we discuss radiation protection measures and mechanical stability of the laser focal spot on the target.

The Shen-Guang II Upgrade (SG-II-U) laser facility consists of eight high-power nanosecond laser beams and one short-pulse picosecond petawatt laser. It is designed for the study of inertial confinement fusion (ICF), especially for conducting fast ignition (FI) research in China and other basic science experiments. To perform FI successfully with hohlraum targets containing a golden cone, the long-pulse beam and cylindrical hohlraum as well as the short-pulse beam and cone target alignment must satisfy tight specifications (30 and $20~\unicode[STIX]{x03BC}\text{m}$ rms for each case). To explore new ICF ignition targets with six laser entrance holes (LEHs), a rotation sensor was adapted to meet the requirements of a three-dimensional target and correct beam alignment. In this paper, the strategy for aligning the nanosecond beam based on target alignment sensor (TAS) is introduced and improved to meet requirements of the picosecond lasers and the new six LEHs hohlraum targets in the SG-II-U facility. The expected performance of the alignment system is presented, and the alignment error is also discussed.

Recently there has been great progress in laser-driven plasma-based accelerators by exploiting high-power lasers, where electron beams can be accelerated to multi-GeV energy in a centimeter-scale plasma due to the laser wakefield acceleration mechanism. While, to date, worldwide research on laser plasma accelerators has been focused on the creation of compact particle and radiation sources for basic sciences, medical and industrial applications, there is great interest in applications for high-energy physics and astrophysics, exploring unprecedented high-energy frontier phenomena. In this context, we present an overview of experimental achievements in laser plasma acceleration from the perspective of the production of GeV-level electron beams, and deduce the scaling formulas capable of predicting experimental results self-consistently, taking into account the propagation of a relativistic laser pulse through plasma and the accelerating field reduction due to beam loading. Finally, we present design examples for 10-GeV-level laser plasma acceleration, which is expected in near-term experiments by means of petawatt-class lasers.

Nowadays, inertial confinement fusion (ICF) research related to noncontact positioning and transport of free-standing cryogenic targets is playing an increasingly important role in this field. The operational principle behind these technologies is the magnetic acceleration of the levitating target carrier (or sabot) made from Type-II, high-temperature superconductors (HTSCs). The physics of interaction among levitation, guidance and propulsion systems is based on a quantum levitation of high-pinning HTSCs in the mutually normal magnetic fields. This paper discusses current target delivery strategies and future perspectives to create different permanent magnet guideway (PMG) systems for ICF target transport with levitation. In particular, several PMG building options for optimizing both suspension and levitation of ICF targets using an HTSC-sabot will be analyzed. Credible solutions have been demonstrated for both linear and round PMGs, including the ones with a cyclotron acceleration process to realize high-running velocities of the HTSC-sabot for a limited magnetic track. Focusing on physics, we describe in detail the main aspects of the PMG building and the results obtained from computations and proof of principle experiments. High-pinning HTSC magnetic levitation promises a stable and self-controlled levitation to accelerate the ICF targets placed in the HTSC-sabots up to the required injection velocities of 200 m/s and beyond.

We present a diode-pumped, electro-optically Q-switched Tm:YAG laser with a cryogenically cooled laser crystal at 120 K. Output pulses of up to 2.55 mJ and 650 ns duration were demonstrated in an actively Q-switched configuration with a repetition rate of 1 Hz. By using cavity dumping the pulse duration was shortened to 18 ns with only a slightly lower output energy of 2.22 mJ. Furthermore, using a simplified rate equation model, we discuss design constraints on the pump fluence in a pulse pump approach for Tm:YAG to maximize the energy storage capability at a given pump power.

A developing application of laser-driven currents is the generation of magnetic fields of picosecond–nanosecond duration with magnitudes exceeding $B=10~\text{T}$. Single-loop and helical coil targets can direct laser-driven discharge currents along wires to generate spatially uniform, quasi-static magnetic fields on the millimetre scale. Here, we present proton deflectometry across two axes of a single-loop coil ranging from 1 to 2 mm in diameter. Comparison with proton tracking simulations shows that measured magnetic fields are the result of kiloampere currents in the coil and electric charges distributed around the coil target. Using this dual-axis platform for proton deflectometry, robust measurements can be made of the evolution of magnetic fields in a capacitor coil target.

The random fiber laser (RFL) has been an excellent platform for exploring novel optical dynamics and developing new functional optoelectronic devices. However, it is challenging for RFLs to regulate their emission into regular narrow pulses due to their intrinsic randomness. Here, through engineering the laser configuration (cavity Q value, gain distribution and nonlinearity), we demonstrate that narrow (~2.5 ns) pulses with record peak power as high as 64.3  kW are achieved from a self-Q-switched random ytterbium fiber laser. Based on high intracavity intensity and efficient interplay of multiple nonlinear processes (stimulated Brillouin scattering, stimulated Raman scattering and four-wave mixing), an over-one-octave visible-near-infrared (NIR) Raman-frequency comb is generated from single-mode silica fibers for the first time. After spectrally filtering the Raman peaks, wavelength-tunable pulses with durations of several hundreds of picoseconds are obtained. Such a high-peak-power random Q-switched fiber laser and wide frequency comb in the visible-NIR region can find applications in diverse areas, such as spectroscopy, biomedical imaging and quantum information.

Fast neutron absorption spectroscopy is widely used in the study of nuclear structure and element analysis. However, due to the traditional neutron source pulse duration being of the order of nanoseconds, it is difficult to obtain a high-resolution absorption spectrum. Thus, we present a method of ultrahigh energy-resolution absorption spectroscopy via a high repetition rate, picosecond duration pulsed neutron source driven by a terawatt laser. The technology of single neutron count is used, which results in easily distinguishing the width of approximately 20 keV at 2 MeV and an asymmetric shape of the neutron absorption peak. The absorption spectroscopy based on a laser neutron source has one order of magnitude higher energy-resolution power than the state-of-the-art traditional neutron sources, which could be of benefit for precisely measuring nuclear structure data.

In inertial fusion energy (IFE) research, a considerable attention has recently been focused on the issue of large target fabrication for MJ-class laser facilities. The ignition and high-gain target designs require a condensed uniform layer of hydrogen fuel on the inside of a spherical shell. In this report, we discuss the current status and further trends in the area of developing the layering techniques intended to produce ignition, and layering techniques proposed to high repetition rate and mass production of IFE targets.

We deduce a complete wave propagation equation that includes inhomogeneity of the dielectric constant and present this propagation equation in compact vector form. Although similar equations are known in narrow fields such as radio wave propagation in the ionosphere and electromagnetic and acoustic wave propagation in stratified media, we develop here a novel approach of using such equations in the modeling of laser beam propagation in nonlinear media. Our approach satisfies the correspondence principle since in the limit of zero-length wavelength it reduces from physical to geometrical optics.

Further advancement of high-energy pulsed lasers requires a parallel development of appropriate optical components. Several different optical components, such as mirrors and antireflection-coated windows, which are essential for the design of HiLASE high average power lasers were tested. The following paper summarizes results on the measurements of laser-induced damage threshold of such components, and clearly shows their capabilities and limitations for such a demanding application.

Recent results in the development of diode-driven high energy, high repetition rate, picosecond lasers, including the demonstration of a cryogenic Yb:YAG active mirror amplifier that produces 1.5 J pulses at 500 Hz repetition rate (0.75 kW average power) are reviewed. These pulses are compressed resulting in the generation of ${\sim}5~\text{ps}$ duration, 1 J pulses with 0.5 kW average power. A full characterization of this high power cryogenic amplifier, including at-wavelength interferometry of the active region under ${>}1~\text{kW}$ average power pump conditions, is presented. An initial demonstration of operation at 1 kW average power (1 J, 1 kHz) is reported.

We develop a splicing technology of Ti:sapphire crystals for a high-energy chirped pulse amplifier laser system that can suppress the parasitic lasing to improve the amplification efficiency compared to a large-size single Ti:sapphire crystal amplifier. Theoretical investigations on the characteristics of the amplifier with four splicing Ti:sapphire crystals, such as parasitic-lasing suppression and amplification efficiencies, are carried out. Some possible issues resulting from this splicing technology, including spectral modulation, stretching or splitting of the temporal profile, and the sidelobe generation in the spatial domain (near field and far field), are also investigated. Moreover, the feasibility of the splicing technology is preliminarily demonstrated in an experiment with a small splicing Ti:sapphire crystals amplifier. The temporal profile and spatial distribution of the output pulse from the splicing Ti:sapphire crystal amplifier are discussed in relation to the output pulse from a single Ti:sapphire crystal amplifier.

We demonstrate high efficiency second harmonic generation (SHG) of near infrared femtosecond pulses using a $\text{BiB}_{3}\text{O}_{6}$ crystal in a single-pass tight focusing geometry setup. A frequency doubling efficiency of $63\%$ is achieved, which is, to the best of our knowledge, the highest value ever reported in the femtosecond regime for such low energy (nJ-level) pumping pulses. Theoretical analyses of the pumping scheme focusing waist and the SHG efficiency are performed, by numerically solving the three wave mixing coupled equations in the plane-wave scenario and by running simulations with a commercial full 3D code. Simulations show a good agreement with the experimental data regarding both the efficiency and the pulse spectral profile. The simulated SHG pulse temporal profile presents the characteristic features of the group velocity mismatch broadening in a ‘thick’ crystal.

We present experimental and numerical investigations of high-energy mid-infrared filamentation with multi-octave-spanning supercontinuum generation (SCG), pumped by a 2.4 μm, 250 fs Cr:ZnSe chirped-pulse laser amplifier. The SCG is demonstrated in both anomalous and normal dispersion regimes with YAG and polycrystalline ZnSe, respectively. The formation of stable and robust single filaments along with the visible-to-mid-infrared SCG is obtained with a pump energy of up to 100 μJ in a 6-mm-long YAG medium. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the highest-energy multi-octave-spanning SCG from a laser filament in a solid. On the other hand, the SCG and even-harmonic generation based on random quasi-phase matching (RQPM) are simultaneously observed from the single filaments in a 6-mm-long polycrystalline ZnSe medium with a pump energy of up to 15 μJ. The numerical simulations based on unidirectional pulse propagation equation and RQPM show excellent agreement with the measured multi-octave-spanning SCG and even-harmonic generation. They also reveal the temporal structure of mid-infrared filaments, such as soliton-like self-compression in YAG and pulse broadening in ZnSe.

We propose a 2.1 μm high-energy dissipative soliton resonant (DSR) fiber laser system based on a mode-locked seed laser and dual-stage amplifiers. In the seed laser, the nonlinear amplifying loop mirror technique is employed to realize mode-locking. The utilization of an in-band pump scheme and long gain fiber enables effectively exciting 2.1 μm pulses. A section of ultra-high numerical aperture fiber (UHNAF) with normal dispersion and high nonlinearity and an output coupler with a large coupling ratio are used to achieve a high-energy DSR system. By optimizing the UHNAF length to 55 m, a 2103.7 nm, 88.1 nJ DSR laser with a 3-dB spectral bandwidth of 0.48 nm and a pulse width of 17.1 ns is obtained under a proper intracavity polarization state and pump power. The output power and conversion efficiency are 0.233 W and 4.57%, respectively, both an order of magnitude higher than those of previously reported holmium-doped DSR seed lasers. Thanks to the high output power and nanosecond pulse width of the seed laser, the average power of the DSR laser is linearly scaled up to 50.4 W via a dual-stage master oscillator power amplifier system. The 3-dB spectral bandwidth broadens slightly to 0.52 nm, and no distortion occurs in the amplified pulse waveform. The corresponding pulse energy reaches 19.1 μJ, which is the highest pulse energy in a holmium-doped mode-locked fiber laser system to the best of our knowledge. Such a 2.1 μm, high-energy DSR laser with relatively wide pulse width has prospective applications in mid-infrared nonlinear frequency conversion.

The ultrafast dynamic process in semiconductor Ge irradiated by the femtosecond laser pulses is numerically simulated on the basis of van Driel system. It is found that with the increase of depth, the carrier density and lattice temperature decrease, while the carrier temperature first increases and then drops. The laser fluence has a great influence on the ultrafast dynamical process in Ge. As the laser fluence remains a constant value, though the overall evolution of the carrier density and lattice temperature is almost independent of pulse duration and laser intensity, increasing the laser intensity will be more effective than increasing the pulse duration in the generation of carriers. Irradiating the Ge sample by the femtosecond double pulses, the ultrafast dynamical process of semiconductor can be affected by the temporal interval between the double pulses.