Pulse compressor architecture to enable next-generation high-energy petawatt-class lasers

The maximum energy obtainable within a single aperture of a high-energy petawatt-class (HEPW) laser is typically limited by the pulse compressor. This work evaluates the potential impact of two new pulse compression grating technologies (HELD gratings and TM polarization) on HEPW laser systems. A compressor architecture is proposed that implements these grating advancements in order to support ∼6× higher pulse energies than currently demonstrated. This increase in energy and intensity could have substantial benefits to high-flux secondary sources and enable new applications.