Generation and amplification of ultrashort light pulses using excimer lasers

An investigation is made of the characteristic features of the amplification of ultrashort radiation pulses in excimer media. An analysis is made of the dependence of the saturation energy on the width of the spectrum of the amplified ultrashort pulse. A laser apparatus is described which makes it possible to generate high-power mutually synchronized ultrashort pulses of adjustable duration in the infrared, visible, and ultraviolet regions of the spectrum. The dependences of the gain in an excimer amplifier on the energy density and wavelength of the input signal were investigated experimentally. Ultraviolet radiation pulses (λ=308 nm) were obtained having a duration of 5 psec and an energy of 15 mJ, corresponding to a power of 3GW.