Chirped-Pulse Amplification (CPA) – Dispersion / Stretcher / Compressor – Characterization for ultra-intense lasers

• Understand the dispersion laws for ultra-short pulses
• Review current dispersion techniques (especially stretching techniques)
• Visit pioneering intense-laser laboratories on the Saclay plateau
• Visit a world-famous grating company
• Interact with industrial partners and leading scientists
• Initiate collaborations

• Users or designers of high-intensity, high-energy, or high-average-power lasers
• Technicians, Engineers, researchers
• Undergraduates and Ph.D. students

• Basic concepts : stretching/compression principle
• Grating technology
• Optimization and characterization
• Simulations / Practical work

Experts in their field

• Basic Concepts : Stretching/compression principle
  Dispersion generality ; CPA basics ; CPA at the extreme
• Grating Technology
  Methods to manufacture a grating ; Dimensioning and characterization of high damage threshold grating ; Methods to clean a grating
• Optimization and Characterization
  Grating and Optic metrology ; Different temporal methods to characterize and optimize a pulse ; New method to characterize a pulse. Taking in consideration the spatio temporal effect especially in stretcher and compressor
• Simulations/ Practical work
  Laser safety training ; Grating principle. Alignment ; Compressor simulation with Zemax ; Optimizing a laser chain: stretcher/Amplifiers/compressor ; Aligning a compressor in virtual 3D
• Lab Work
  Grating and dispersive mirrors Characterization: efficiency, flatness and dispersion
  Alignment, optimization and temporal characterization
  Lab Visit: LOA, LULI-Elfie, LULI-2000, APOLLON
  Horiba Jobin-Yvon Visit.

• Lectures: 50%
• Hands-on training: 50%