Abstract: A pulse modification apparatus includes at least one pulse stretcher for dispersive stretching of laser pulses and/or at least one pulse compressor for dispersive compression of the laser pulses, an actuator for setting a dispersion of the at least one pulse stretcher or a dispersion of the at least one pulse compressor by setting at least one manipulated variable, a controller for controlling the actuator based on a measurement signal, and an ambient sensor for detecting at least one ambient parameter as the measurement signal. The dispersion of the at least one pulse stretcher or the dispersion of the at least one pulse compressor is dependent on the at least one ambient parameter.

Abstract: A method for amplifying an ultrashort laser pulse includes: a) stretching the ultrashort laser pulse in time, b) amplifying the time-stretched laser pulse, c) compressing the amplified time-stretched laser pulse, with at least one gain phase contribution selected from a group consisting of a gain dynamics phase contribution of the laser pulse that emerges as a change in a nonlinear phase on account of gain dynamics in step b), a gain bandwidth phase contribution of the laser pulse that emerges as a change in the nonlinear phase on account of a gain bandwidth in step b), and a combination thereof, being compensated by virtue of d) an additional phase contribution being imparted on the laser pulse prior to step c) and/or e) a spectrum of the laser pulse being changed, in such a way that the at least one gain phase contribution is compensated after step c).

Abstract: A passively mode-locked fiber oscillator for generating seed pulses for nonlinear chirped pulse amplification (CPA) systems includes a bidirectional loop and a unidirectional loop coupled to one another by a loop coupler. The bidirectional loop includes a first amplifying fiber. The fiber oscillator has a total fiber length configured such that a repetition rate of the fiber oscillator is at most 10 MHz. The fiber oscillator further includes at least one dispersion compensation element configured such that the fiber oscillator has a total dispersion of 0.04 ps2 to 0.1 ps2.

Abstract: A method for generating output laser pulses includes generating input laser pulses having an equal pulse duration, and coupling the input laser pulses into an optical actuator. A dispersion of the optical actuator is settable. The method further includes setting the dispersion of the optical actuator for a current input laser pulse, so that a pulse duration change caused by a change of a temperature of at least one component and/or by a change of an ambient temperature is compensated for, and that an associated output laser pulse has a pulse duration corresponding or nearly corresponding to a target pulse duration.

Abstract: A pulse modification apparatus includes at least one pulse stretcher for dispersive stretching of laser pulses and/or at least one pulse compressor for dispersive compression of the laser pulses, an actuator for setting a dispersion of the at least one pulse stretcher or a dispersion of the at least one pulse compressor by setting at least one manipulated variable, a controller for controlling the actuator based on a measurement signal, and an ambient sensor for detecting at least one ambient parameter as the measurement signal. The dispersion of the at least one pulse stretcher or the dispersion of the at least one pulse compressor is dependent on the at least one ambient parameter.

Abstract: An optical arrangement for pulse compression of a pulsed laser beam includes a grating arrangement comprising at least one diffraction grating, and a beam-expanding device comprising at least one beam-expanding optical element for forming a divergent pulsed laser beam that enters the grating arrangement divergently.

Abstract: A laser system for nonlinear pulse compression includes a laser source configured to generate laser pulses with a pulse energy of at least 50 mJ, a spectral broadening device for spectrally broadening the high-energy laser pulses using self-phase modulation, and a compression device including a grating compressor having at least two diffraction gratings and configured to compress the spectrally broadened high-energy laser pulses. The laser system is configured to generate a pulse duration of the high-energy laser pulses of less than 100 fs.

Abstract: A method for amplifying an ultrashort laser pulse includes: a) stretching the ultrashort laser pulse in time, b) amplifying the time-stretched laser pulse, c) compressing the amplified time-stretched laser pulse, with at least one gain phase contribution selected from a group consisting of a gain dynamics phase contribution of the laser pulse that emerges as a change in a nonlinear phase on account of gain dynamics in step b), a gain bandwidth phase contribution of the laser pulse that emerges as a change in the nonlinear phase on account of a gain bandwidth in step b), and a combination thereof, being compensated by virtue of d) an additional phase contribution being imparted on the laser pulse prior to step c) and/or e) a spectrum of the laser pulse being changed, in such a way that the at least one gain phase contribution is compensated after step c).

Abstract: A pulse compressor includes a plurality of optical components. The plurality of optical components includes a diffraction grating. A first optical component of the optical components is fastened to base plate by at least first and second intermediate elements that are laser-welded to one another. The first intermediate element is fastened to the base plate and the second intermediate element is fastened to the optical component. A joining surface of the first and second intermediate elements is formed as a bearing recess and another joining surface is curved. At least the laser-welded joining surfaces of the first optical component, the base plate, and the first and second intermediate elements are formed from materials for which a difference in their coefficients of thermal expansion is less than 10e-6/K.

Abstract: The invention relates to dispersion adjustment units for electromagnetic radiation having a spectral width, e.g., for laser pulses. The dispersion adjustment unit includes at least one dispersive element for producing angular dispersion in an angular dispersion region limited by two interaction regions of the electromagnetic radiation with the at least one dispersive element. In the angular dispersion region, individual spectral components of the electromagnetic radiation are associated with optical paths extending at an angle to one another. Furthermore, the dispersion adjustment unit includes an optical unit that is arranged in the angular dispersion region and includes an optical element that transmits the electromagnetic radiation. The optical element effects an incidence-angle-dependent parallel offset of the individual spectral components of the electromagnetic radiation with respect to the propagation of the individual spectral components before and after the optical unit.

Abstract: A laser amplifier system includes: a fiber-laser pre-amplifier system for pre-amplifying initial laser pulses and outputting pre-amplified laser pulses; an intermediate-compressor for temporally partially compressing the pre-amplified laser pulses; a solid-state post-amplifier for post-amplifying temporally partially compressed pre-amplified laser pulses and for outputting post-amplified laser pulses; and a post-compressor for temporally compressing the post-amplified laser pulses to generate the output laser pulses.

Abstract: The invention relates to dispersion adjustment units for electromagnetic radiation having a spectral width, e.g., for laser pulses. The dispersion adjustment unit includes at least one dispersive element for producing angular dispersion in an angular dispersion region limited by two interaction regions of the electromagnetic radiation with the at least one dispersive element. In the angular dispersion region, individual spectral components of the electromagnetic radiation are associated with optical paths extending at an angle to one another. Furthermore, the dispersion adjustment unit includes an optical unit that is arranged in the angular dispersion region and includes an optical element that transmits the electromagnetic radiation. The optical element effects an incidence-angle-dependent parallel offset of the individual spectral components of the electromagnetic radiation with respect to the propagation of the individual spectral components before and after the optical unit.