Feasibility of constructing a picosecond terawatt neodymium laser with a contrast ratio ~ 1013

A proposal is made and calculations are reported for a neodymium glass laser system capable of generating picosecond terawatt-power pulses with a leading edge of ~ 1 ps duration at the 10^–13 level. Formation of a pulse at λ = 1.056 μm would involve a two-stage stimulated Raman scattering process of frequency conversion of ruby laser radiation in SF₆ and H₂.