Speaker: Prof. Jake Bromage (University of Rochester, Laboratory for Laser Energetics, and Group Leader for Laser Technology Development at LLE)

Date and time: Tuesday, August 18, 2:00 p.m. (heure de l'Est)

Title: NSF OPAL: Designing the Next Generation of Ultra-Intense Lasers

Abstract

Ultra-intense laser systems have transformed the exploration of matter under extreme conditions, enabling laboratory access to physical regimes previously confined to astrophysical environments. Continued advances in laser technology promise another significant leap in achievable intensity, opening new opportunities to probe strong-field quantum electrodynamics (QED); drive compact particle accelerators; investigate hot, dense matter; and explore frontier questions in nuclear physics. My seminar will provide an overview of the evolution of ultra-intense laser technology, with particular emphasis on the emergence of all-optical parametric chirped-pulse amplification (all-OPCPA) architectures as a path toward higher peak powers, broader bandwidths, and improved temporal contrast. I will then present the laser concept being developed for the NSF-funded OPAL (Optical Parametric Amplifier Line) Design Project at the University of Rochester’s Laboratory for Laser Energetics, where I serve as Laser Team Lead. The NSF OPAL design targets focused intensities approximately five times greater than the current state of the art, establishing a foundation for the next generation of extreme-field science.

Au plaisir de vous y voir!