Spectral control of diode-pumped Yb:LiYF/sub 4/ chirped-pulse regenerative amplifier

Yb:LiYF/sub 4/ (Yb:YLF) crystal is focused on as one of the promised laser materials in the diode-pumped ultrahigh-peak-power lasers due to its high energy storage, wide spectral emission range, low nonlinear refractive index and high thermal conductivity. In this paper, spectral control with a pellicle was demonstrated for broadening a spectral width of the regenerative amplified pulse. Sub-100 fs pulse duration with over-ten-milli-joule pulse energy after compression could be obtained with pellicle spectral shaping and additional pump diode by replacing the fiber stretcher to an antiparallel grating pair pulse stretcher.