Highly efficient second-harmonic generation of ultraintense Nd:glass laser pulses.

Major advances in laser technology at LLE have included the demonstration of high-efficiency frequency doubling and tripling of fusion lasers1 and the development of short-pulse, chirped-pulse-amplification (CPA) lasers2 These technologies were combined a few years ago with the demonstration of 75% efficient frequency doubling of 1.6-ps laser pulses on the CPA T~ (table-top terawatt) system at LLE, in collaboration with the Australian National University ( A N U ) . ~ Excellent agreement with simulations demonstrated that "standard" frequency conversion theory also applies in the picosecond regime, at intensities up to a few Gw/cm2.