[en] We have demonstrated a high-gain optical parametric chirped-pulse amplifier for Nd:glass-based short-pulse laser systems based on periodically poled potassium-titanyl-phosphate. Our amplifier produced high single-pass gain, broad bandwidth, excellent beam quality and stability

[en] In this paper we consider two CW solid state laser approaches to a 589 nm LGS system. Both are based on the technique of sum-frequency generation, but differ in the cavity architecture. Both technologies are very promising and are worth of further consideration. This preliminary proposal is intended to encompass both designs. A down select shall be performed early in the project execution to focus on the most promising option. The two design options consist of: (1) A dual-frequency resonator with intra-cavity doubling in LB0 offers the promise of a simple architecture and may scale more easily to high power. This design has been shown to be highly reliable, efficient and high power when used in frequency-doubled Nd:YAG lasers for programs at LLNL and in commercial products. The challenge in this design is the demonstration of a high power13 18 nm oscillator with adequate suppression of the 1064 nm line. (2) A MOPA based design uses commercial low power oscillators to produce both wavelengths, then amplifies the wavelengths before doubling. This design requires the demonstration of a 1318 nm amplifier, though the design is scaled from a kW CW amplifier already delivered to a customer at a different wavelength. The design must also demonstrate high power scaling of sum-frequency generation in the relatively new nonlinear material, PPLN. The first step in the process would be to further evaluate the two conceptual options for technical feasibility, cost and constructability. Then a down selection to one design would be conducted. Finally, R and D on that design would then proceed. Minimal testing should be required for this selection. The majority of the funding received would be allocated to development of the design selected

[en] We review recent physics and computational science advances in the Mercury Monte Carlo particle transport code under development at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. We describe recent efforts to enable a nuclear resonance fluorescence capability in the Mercury photon transport. We also describe recent work to implement a probability of extinction capability into Mercury. We review the results of current parallel scaling and threading efforts that enable the code to run on millions of MPI processes. (authors)

[en] A LIFE laser driver needs to be designed and operated which meets the rigorous requirements of the NIF laser system while operating at high average power, and operate for a lifetime of >30 years. Ignition on NIF will serve to demonstrate laser driver functionality, operation of the Mercury laser system at LLNL demonstrates the ability of a diode-pumped solid-state laser to run at high average power, but the operational lifetime >30 yrs remains to be proven. A Laser Technology test Facility (LTF) has been designed to specifically address this issue. The LTF is a 100-Hz diode-pumped solid-state laser system intended for accelerated testing of the diodes, gain media, optics, frequency converters and final optics, providing system statistics for billion shot class tests. These statistics will be utilized for material and technology development as well as economic and reliability models for LIFE laser drivers.

[en] Generation of mono-energetic, high brightness gamma-rays requires state of the art lasers to both produce a low emittance electron beam in the linac and high intensity, narrow linewidth laser photons for scattering with the relativistic electrons. Here, we overview the laser systems for the 3rd generation Monoenergetic Gamma-ray Source (MEGa-ray) currently under construction at Lawrence Livermore National Lab (LLNL). We also describe a method for increasing the efficiency of laser Compton scattering through laser pulse recirculation. The fiber-based photoinjector laser will produce 50 (micro)J temporally and spatially shaped UV pulses at 120 Hz to generate a low emittance electron beam in the X-band RF photoinjector. The interaction laser generates high intensity photons that focus into the interaction region and scatter off the accelerated electrons. This system utilizes chirped pulse amplification and commercial diode pumped solid state Nd:YAG amplifiers to produce 0.5 J, 10 ps, 120 Hz pulses at 1064 nm and up to 0.2 J after frequency doubling. A single passively mode-locked Ytterbium fiber oscillator seeds both laser systems and provides a timing synch with the linac.

[en] The scope of the Mercury Laser project encompasses the research, development, and engineering required to build a new generation of diode-pumped solid-state lasers for Inertial Confinement Fusion (ICF). The Mercury Laser will be the first integrated demonstration of laser diodes, crystals, and gas cooling within a scalable laser architecture. This report is intended to summarize the progress accomplished during the first three years of the project. Due to the technological challenges associated with production of 900 nm diode-bars, heatsinks, and high optical-quality Yb:S-FAP crystals, the initial focus of the project was primarily centered on the R and D in these three areas. During the third year of the project, the R and D continued in parallel with the development of computer codes, partial activation of the laser, component testing, and code validation where appropriate

[en] Compact Compton scattering gamma-ray sources offer the potential of studying nuclear photonics with new tools. The optimization of such sources depends on the final application, but generally requires maximizing the spectral density (photons/eV) of the gamma-ray beam while simultaneously reducing the overall bandwidth on target to minimize noise. We have developed an advanced design for one such system, comprising the RF drive, photoinjector, accelerator, and electron-generating and electron-scattering laser systems. This system uses a 120 Hz, 250 pC, 2 ps, 0.35 mm mrad electron beam with 250 MeV maximum energy in an X-band accelerator scattering off a 150 mJ, 10 ps, 532 nm laser to generate 5 × 10¹⁰ photons/eV/s/Sr at 0.5 MeV with an overall bandwidth of less than 1%. The source will be able to produce photons up to energies of 2.5 MeV. We also discuss Compton scattering gamma-ray source predictions given by numerical codes.

[en] We report first light from a novel, new source of 10-ps 0.776-MeV gamma-ray pulses known as T-REX (Thomson-Radiated Extreme X-rays). The MeV-class radiation produced by TREX is unique in the world with respect to its brightness, spectral purity, tunability, pulse duration and laser-like beam character. With T-REX, one can use photons to efficiently probe and excite the isotope-dependent resonant structure of atomic nucleus. This ability will be enabling to an entirely new class of isotope-specific, high resolution imaging and detection capabilities

[en] We have developed preliminary conceptual laser system designs for the Laser ICF (Inertial Confinement Fusion) Fission Energy (LIFE) application. Our approach leverages experience in high-energy Nd:glass laser technology developed for the National Ignition Facility (NIF), along with high-energy-class diode-pumped solid-state laser (HEC-DPSSL) technology developed for the DOE's High Average Power Laser (HAPL) Program and embodied in LLNL's Mercury laser system. We present laser system designs suitable for both indirect-drive, hot spot ignition and indirect-drive, fast ignition targets. Main amplifiers for both systems use laser-diode-pumped Nd:glass slabs oriented at Brewster's angle, as in NIF, but the slabs are much thinner to allow for cooling by high-velocity helium gas as in the Mercury laser system. We also describe a plan to mass-produce pump-diode lasers to bring diode costs down to the order of $0.01 per Watt of peak output power, as needed to make the LIFE application economically attractive

[en] The use of short laser pulses to generate very high brightness, ultra short (fs to ps) x-ray pulses is a topic of great interest. In principle, fantosecond-scale pump-probe experiments can be used to temporally resolve structural dynamics of materials on the time scale of atomic motion. The development of sub-ps x-ray pulses will make possible a wide range of materials and plasma physics studies with unprecedented time resolution. The Thomson scattering project at LLNL will provide such a novel x-ray source of high power using short laser pulses and a high brightness, relativistic electron bunch. The system is based on a 5mm-mrad normalized emittance photoinjector, 100 MeV electron RF linac, and a 300 mJ, 35 fs solid-state laser system. The Thomson source will produce ultra fast pulses with x-ray energies (60 kev) capable of probing into high-Z metals