Hybrid architecture for high energy lasers delivering sub-500 fs pulses

Summary form only given. An increasing number of scientific applications require highly energetic ultrafast laser system like OPA pumping, THz generation or filamentation. To address their requirements, Amplitude Systems is developing a versatile femtosecond laser system based on diode-pumped Ytterbium doped crystals at ambient temperature. An output energy of 74 mJ at 100 Hz was obtained with a pulse duration as short as 450 fs, which corresponds to a peak power of nearly 170 GW.In conclusion, we have developed a high energy ultrafast laser system based on spectral shaping of femtosecond fiber oscillator amplified in a combination of different diode pumped Ytterbium doped crystals at ambient temperature. This type of source is suitable to address the applications based on non-linear processes (filamentation, OPA pumping, THz generation...). In the near future, this system will be energy scaled with further Yb:YAG amplification stages.