PENELOPE main amplifier performance and development status

We present an update on the development of the PENELOPE laser system currently under construction at the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Germany. Pulses from an oscillator are stretched to the nanosecond scale before several amplification stages will boost the energy up to the 150 J level after compression. About 150 fs are foreseen at repetition rates of up to 1 Hz, ultimately yielding a peak power of 1 PW.
Current development focusses on the energetic performance of the last two main amplifier stages, especially the second to last amplifier. We will present the performance at the 10 J level, while simulating both amplifiers by double-passing the 12-pass setup. A small signal gain of more than 900 was achieved with these 24 passes using 4 Yb3+:CaF2 gain medium disks being pumped at up to 120 kW within 4 ms. Single-shot operation at room temperature is shown with a thorough discussion of the impact of temperature on the future operation below room temperature.