'Progress-P' laser facility with chirped-pulse amplification in neodymium glass

A Nd:YLF/Nd:glass laser facility with chirped-pulse amplification capable of generating pulses with a duration of 1.5 ps and a power up to 30 TW at the wavelength of 1053 nm was investigated. The facility consists of a initial laser system, producing a chirped pulse with an energy up to ~ 1 J, a main three-stage rod amplifying channel with a 85-mm aperture of the output stage, a pulse compressor based on 210 mm × 420 mm diffraction gratings, and a focusing axial parabolic mirror (with an aperture ratio of 1:11). Optimisation of the parameters of the laser facility allowed us to generate an output laser beam with an angular divergence close to the diffraction limit and an intensity up to ~ 10¹⁹ W cm^-2 . Laser radiation with such parameters can be employed in experiments on the interaction of superstrong laser fields with matter.