Coherent Introduces Hidra™ Series of Modular, High Energy Ultrafast Amplifiers
Santa Clara, CA - Coherent, Inc. introduces Hidra™, a family of high-energy Ti:Sapphire amplifiers. Using a design approach that provides the flexibility of a custom laser with the simplicity of proven, scalable building blocks, Hidra addresses the needs of all users interested in power levels up to or exceeding a terawatt.
"Using different arrangements of these modules, repetition rates from single shot to 20 Hz, and pulse widths from 35 femtoseconds to 2 picoseconds, can be selected," noted Steve Edstrom, product manager for custom solid-state lasers. "In addition, the output energy can be specified from 2 to 100 mJ, or even higher in customized version of the product. Hidra can be seeded by many available oscillators including Coherent's comprehensive line of Ti:Sapphire laser oscillators, such as Mira™, Chameleon™ and Vitesse™. Furthermore, Hidra can also be provided with a 1 kHz front-end, adding flexibility to the whole system."
The regenerative amplifier design of the Hidra, complemented by additional multipass modules, provides two key benefits. First, this approach enables access to terawatt pulse levels, starting from a simple, cost-effective optical arrangement, even through successive upgrades. Second, because the output pulse stability of an amplifier is dominated by the initial amplification stage, the use of a 1 kHz front-end amplifier, pumped by our DPSS Evolution laser, provides unique pulse-to-pulse stability for systems of its class.
The Hidra family is targeted at demanding research applications that require custom performance without the high cost of a custom laser system. These applications include femtosecond spectroscopy, high-field physics, and non-linear optics.
Founded in 1966, Coherent, Inc. is a Standard & Poor's SmallCap 600 company and a world leader in providing photonics-based solutions to the commercial and scientific research markets. For more information about Coherent, including product and financial updates, visit our Web site at http://www.Coherent.com.
Source: Coherent, Inc.