Progress Report on Development of Novel Ultrafast Mid- Ir Laser System*

Of particular interest to X-ray FEL light source facilities is Enhanced Self-Amplified Spontaneous Emission (ESASE) technique. Such a technique requires an ultrafast (20-50 fs) high peak power, high repetition rate reliable laser systems working in the mid-IR range of spectrum (2μm or more). The approach of this proposed work is to design a novel Ultrafast Mid-IR Laser System based on optical parametric chirped-pulse amplification (OPCPA). OPCPA is a technique ideally suited for production of ultrashort laser pulses at the center wavelength of 2 μm. Some of the key features of OPCPA are the wavelength agility, broad spectral bandwidth and negligible thermal load. This paper reports on the progress of the development of the Ultrafast Mid-IR Laser System.