A new generation DiPOLE laser, delivering 10 J pulses at 100 Hz repetition rate (1 kW average power) has been developed and commissioned by the CALTA team at the CLF as part of the Widespread collaboration with HiLASE (Czech Republic).
DiPOLE100Hz laser system.
This is part of a 45M Euro bilateral collaboration between HiLASE and the Central Laser Facility (CLF) called Widespread, jointly funded by the European Commission and the Czech Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports (MEYS).
Established in 2011, HiLASE now houses several laser facilities, including Bivoj/DiPOLE100, a 100 J, 10 Hz laser developed by the CLF’s CALTA team, delivered to HiLASE in 2016 and later pushed to operate at 150 J, 10 Hz as part of the Widespread collaboration. This laser was the first external commission of the CALTA team’s DiPOLE Concept, which combines the knowledge and experience of the CLF’s 45 years as a national laser facility.
To complement Bivoj/DiPOLE100, the CLF’s CALTA team have now developed and commissioned DiPOLE100Hz, designed to generate nanosecond pulses of 10 J energy at 100 Hz repetition rate.
As part of the commissioning experiments, the CALTA team first demonstrated stable operation of the laser at 7 J, 100 Hz over 4 hours (just under 1.5 million shots).
After that, the team successfully demonstrated stable amplification at the full specification of 10 J, 100 Hz.
This laser provides a tenfold increase in repetition rate compared to the Bivoj/DIPOLE100 system. DiPOLE100Hz targets the needs of industrial and scientific applications requiring high average power and high throughput rates. The laser generates 1 kW average power in a much more compact system compared to DiPOLE100.
After shipment to HiLASE in November 2023, DiPOLE100Hz will take on its new name, KAZI, who is, according to Czech mythology, a quick-witted, mythical heroine and the wife of the mythological hero Bivoj.
Dr. Mariastefania De Vido, technical leader of the DiPOLE 100 Hz project, said: “I am pleased to say that the DiPOLE 10 J, 100Hz laser is running just as well as we’d hoped, demonstrating stable, long-term operation without the need for user intervention.”
Prof. John Collier, the Director of the CLF, said: “I am delighted by the latest results from the CLF’s DiPOLE technology. Reliable long-term operation at 10 J, 100 Hz is an important advancement for the high energy, high average power laser field and yet another world-leading result from the highly successful Widespread collaboration with HiLASE.”
Dr. Tomas Mocek, Head of HiLASE, expressed his excitement over the remarkable progress achieved recently at STFC in developing the DiPOLE 10 J, 100 Hz laser. Emphasizing the fruitful partnership, he remarked, “The success of the DiPOLE technology is a testament to the outstanding collaboration between STFC and HiLASE. Our joint efforts have propelled us to new heights in the realm of high-energy, high-repetition-rate lasers. We envision that this cutting-edge laser, named KAZI, will serve as a powerful tool for diverse scientific and industrial applications.”
The CLF’s CALTA team running tests on DiPOLE100Hz
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