Ultrafast Laser Science

State-of-the-art laser performance enabled by cryogenic-cooling

Science and technology are inextricably linked and continue to drive each other. Ultrafast lasers have revolutionized our understanding of how molecules and materials work and how charges, spins, phonons and photons interact dynamically. In past research, KMLabs designed Ti:sapphire lasers that operate at the limits of pulse duration and stability, with adjustable pulse durations from 7 fs on up. These lasers are now a standard fixture in thousands of laboratories worldwide. More recently, we developed tabletop high peak-power, high average-power lasers with unprecedented short pulse duration, spanning the UV to the mid-infrared regions of the spectrum.

Our latest laser science projects involve developing mid-infrared lasers that are optimized for driving bright soft X-ray high harmonic beams, in a simple and compact setup that is optimized for applications. These tabletop-scale lasers are based on cryogenic-cooling of the amplifier crystal. This new laser system will make it possible to extend many successful applications of high harmonic generation from the EUV to the soft X-ray region of the spectrum. We are also continually developing new laser designs, diagnostics, and optical elements at KMLabs.

Related Publications

1. https://www.kmlabs.com/news-and-events/imec-kmlabs_jointdevelopment
2. S. Backus, M. Kirchner, C. Durfee, M. Murnane, H. Kapteyn, “Direct diode-pumped Kerr Lens 13 fs Ti:sapphire ultrafast oscillator using a single blue laser diode,” Optics Express 25(11) 12469–12477 (2017).
3. S. Backus, M. Kirchner, R. Lemons, D. Schmidt, C. Durfee, M. Murnane, H. Kapteyn, “Direct diode pumped Ti:sapphire ultrafast regenerative amplifier system,” Optics Express 25(4), 3666–3674 (2017).
4. Chengyuan Ding, Wei Xiong, Tingting Fan, Daniel D. Hickstein, Tenio Popmintchev, Xiaoshi Zhang, Mike Gerrity, Margaret M. Murnane, and Henry C. Kapteyn, “High flux coherent supercontinuum soft X-ray source driven by a single-stage 10 mJ, kHz, Ti:sapphire laser amplifier,” Optics Express 22(5), 6194¬–6202 (2014).
5. Xiaoshi Zhang, Eric Schneider, Greg Taft, Henry Kaptyen, Margaret Murnane, Sterling Backus, “Multi-microjoule cryo-cooled Ti:Sapphire ultrafast regenerative amplifier system at MHz repetition rate,” Optics Express 20, 7015-7021 (2012).
6. Charles G. Durfee, Tristan Storz, Jonathan Garlick, Steven Hill, Jeff A. Squier, Matt Kirchner, Greg Taft, Kevin Shea, Henry Kapteyn, Margaret Murnane, Sterling Backus, “Direct Diode-Pumped Kerr-lens Modelocked Ti:sapphire Laser,” Optics Express 20, 13677 (2012).
7. G. Andriukaitis, T. Balčiūnas, S. Ališauskas, A. Pugžlys, A. Baltuška, T. Popmintchev, M.-C. Chen, M.M. Murnane, H.C. Kapteyn, “90-GW Peak-Power Few-Cycle Mid-IR Pulses from an Optical Parametric Amplifier,” Optics Letters 36, 2755 (2011).