Contact

Prof. Dr. Ulrich Schramm

Director Institute for Radiation Physics and Head Laser Particle Acceleration Division
u.schrammAthzdr.de
Phone: +49 351 260 2471

Stefan Bock

s.bockAthzdr.de
Phone: +49 351 260 2612

Uwe Helbig

u.helbigAthzdr.de
Phone: +49 351 260 3371

Thomas Püschel

t.pueschelAthzdr.de
Phone: +49 351 260 2026

Partner

High-power ultra-short pulse laser DRACO

With DRACO (Dresden laser acceleration source) HZDR operates a state-of-the-art high-power ultra-short pulse laser system, dedicated and optimized for the investigation of relativistic laser plasma physics. The system is based on the Amplitude Technologies Pulsar architecture and delivers two main and additional diagnostics beams to three topic specific target areas as illustrated below. Target areas are permanently designed to support advanced accelerator research at different focal length and target density conditions. On-shot laser diagnostics is provided close to the experiment. Typical main beam parameters are 150 TW (4.5J on target in 30fs) and PW-class (currently 20J on target).

The architecture of the Ti:Saphire based laser system comprises a frequency locked femtosecond oscillator with a booster amplifier, a first CPA (chirped pulse amplification) stage followed by an XPW pulse contrast cleaning system (cross polarized wave generation), and a second CPA stage amplifying up to 1.5J energy at a constant repetition rate of 10 Hz. Active spectral phase and amplitude as well as beam propagation control and corresponding feedback loops ensure stable long term operation of these front-end components.

In the following the beam is actively split at user selected picking rates of up to 1 Hz and amplified either in a cryogenic amplifier to 6 J pulse energy, or in a large aperture amplifier to up to 45 J. Both beams are individually compressed to a typical pulse duration of 30 fs and guided to the respective target areas. Adaptive optics ensures state-of-the art final focus quality and pulse contrast can be cleaned via insertable plasma mirror setups and on-shot monitored. Beams can be used separately, simultaneously, synchronized to the ELBE accelerator, and in combination with internal and external synchronized probe sources. Few cycle probing can be realized as well as off-harmonic high intensity probing to compete with strong plasma emission on target.

The advanced accelerator labs are open to external users, who want to benefit from the strength of the optimized permanent installations with their multiple diagnostics instruments, to a limited extent. Optimal support can be provided in the frame of collaborative access which is recommended. Link to details.


Selection of laser and diagnostics related recent publications:

Proton beam quality enhancement by spectral phase control of a PW-class laser system,
T. Ziegler, D. Albach, C. Bernert, S. Bock, F.-E. Brack, T.E. Cowan, M. Garten, L. Gaus, R. Gebhardt, U. Helbig, A. Irman, H. Kiriyama, T. Kluge, S. Kraft, F. Kroll, M. Loeser, J. Metzkes-Ng, M. Nishuichi, L. Obst-Huebl, T. Püschel, M. Rehwald, H.-P. Schlenvoigt, U. Schramm, K. Zeil,
Scientific Reports 11, 7338 (2021) (SharedIT)
Single Plasma Mirror Temporal Contrast Improvement with On-Shot Characterization,
L. Obst, J. Metzkes, S. Bock, G. Cochran, T. Cowan, T. Oksenhendler, P. Poole, I. Prencipe, M. Rehwald, C. Rödel, H.-P. Schlenvoigt, D.W. Schumacher, U. Schramm, T. Ziegler, and K. Zeil,
Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion 60, 054007 (2018)
High dynamic, high resolution and wide range single shot temporal pulse contrast measurement,
T. Oksenhendler, P. Bizouard, O. Albert, S. Bock, U. Schramm,
Optics Express 25, 12588 (2017)
First results with the novel Petawatt laser acceleration facility in Dresden,
U. Schramm, M. Bussmann, A. Irman, M. Siebold K. Zeil, D. Albach, C. Bernert, S. Bock, F. Brack, J. Branco, J.P. Couperus, T. Cowan, A. Debus, C. Eisenmann, M. Garten, R. Gebhardt, S. Grams, U. Helbig, A. Huebl, T. Kluge, A. Köhler, J. Krmer, S. Kraft, F. Kroll, M. Kuntzsch, U. Lehnert, M. Loeser, J. Metzkes, P. Michel, L. Obst, R. Pausch, M. Rehwald, R. Sauerbrey, H.-P. Schlenvoigt, K. Steiniger, O. Zarini,
Proc. IPAC2017, Copenhagen, Denmark, paper MOZB1, 48 (2017)
J. Phys.: Conf. Ser. 874 (2017) 012028