Dr. Chris J. Hooker Profile

Dr. Chris J. Hooker

at STFC Rutherford Appleton Lab

SPIE Involvement:

Author

Proceedings Article | 13 May 2019 Presentation

Quantitatively evaluating impact of large optics in the stretcher on compressed pulse contrast (Conference Presentation)

Yunxin Tang, David Egan, Chris Hooker, Chris Gregory, Oleg Chekhlov, Cristina Hernandez-Gomez, John Collier, Rajeev Pattathil

Proceedings Volume 11034, 110340E (2019) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2523003

KEYWORDS: Mirrors, Surface roughness, Laser systems engineering, Gold, Spatial resolution, Pulsed laser operation, Sapphire lasers, Gemini Observatory, High power lasers

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We are currently focusing on the improvement of contrast pedestal (CP) in the compressed laser pulse of PW Ti:Sapphire lasers. In our previous studies, we have identified the stretcher in our laser system as the source of CP. In order to underpin the true origins of CP, we have quantitatively characterised the surface quality of large optics used in the Gemini laser stretcher, where the laser beam is spatially dispersed and the spectral phase noise is induced by the optical surface roughness. We have measured the surface profiles of 2 different gold gratings, the new and old grating, and back mirror to a very high precision (~ a fraction of nm) by using ZYGO Dynafiz, with a spatial resolution of ~50µm over a width up to ~320mm, an unprecedented combination of very high spatial resolution with a very wide field of view. The surface roughness of the large curved mirror was determined experimentally. We have developed a simple physical model to deal with the influence of the surface roughness on the contrast pedestal. Based on the measured surface profiles and by taking the actual laser beam size into account, we are able to determine the spectral phase noise induced by the optical surface roughness in the stretcher. Consequently, we are able to accurately evaluate the impact of individual large optics in the stretcher and an overall impact of the stretcher on the contrast pedestal. The calculated contrast induced by both stretches with the new and old gratings are in an excellent agreement with the experimental results measured by the Sequoia scan. For the stretcher with the old grating, the grating is the dominant impact factor on the contrast. However, for the stretcher with the new gold grating of higher quality, the impact of the curved mirror on the contrast is comparable to that of grating. This implies that the influence of curved mirror on the contrast pedestal becomes more significant when the surface quality of grating is further improved. It is clearly observed that the impact of back mirror on the contrast is more than one order of magnitude lower than that of gratings and also much lower than that of curved mirror. In conclusion, we have demonstrated a novel method to evaluate the impact of large optics in the stretcher on the contrast pedestal by precisely quantitative characterization of optical surface quality. It is possible to accurately predict the contrast pedestal based on the stretcher configuration and precise characterisation of the optical surface in the stretcher prior to the construction of actual CPA high power laser system.

Proceedings Article | 15 February 2018 Presentation + Paper

100J-level nanosecond pulsed Yb:YAG cryo-cooled DPSSL amplifier

J. Smith, T. Butcher, P. Mason, K. Ertel, P. J. Phillips, S. Banerjee, M. De Vido, O. Chekhlov, M. Divoky, J. Pilar, W. Shaikh, C. Hooker, A. Lucianetti, C. Hernandez Gomez, T. Mocek, C. Edwards, J. Collier

Proceedings Volume 10511, 105110T (2018) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2289579

KEYWORDS: Optical amplifiers, Amplifiers, Head, Laser systems engineering, Diodes, Laser applications, Ceramics, Beam shaping, Pulsed laser operation, Semiconductor lasers

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Proceedings Article | 11 May 2017 Presentation + Paper

A 100 J-level nanosecond DPSSL for high energy density experiments

Thomas Butcher, Paul Mason, Saumyabrata Banerjee, Klaus Ertel, P. Jonathan Phillips, Jodie Smith, Mariastefania De Vido, Oleg Chekhlov, Martin Divoky, Jan Pilat, Gerd Priebe, Toma Toncian, Waseem Shaikh, Chris Hooker, Antonio Lucianetti, Cristina Hernandez-Gomez, Tomas Mocek, Chris Edwards, John Collier

Proceedings Volume 10238, 1023802 (2017) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2265765

KEYWORDS: Optical amplifiers, Computer aided design, Fiber amplifiers, Diagnostics, Ytterbium, Absorption, Head, Cryogenics, Materials processing, Diode pumped solid state lasers, Laser applications, Pulsed laser operation, Laser energy, Amplifiers, X-ray sources, Laser development, Ceramics

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Proceedings Article | 17 February 2017 Presentation + Paper

A 100J-level nanosecond pulsed DPSSL for pumping high-efficiency, high-repetition rate PW-class lasers

M. De Vido, K. Ertel, P. Mason, S. Banerjee, P. J. Phillips, J. Smith, T. Butcher, O. Chekhlov, M. Divoky, J. Pilar, Chris Hooker, W. Shaikh, A. Lucianetti, C. Hernandez-Gomez, T. Mocek, C. Edwards, J. Collier

Proceedings Volume 10082, 100820M (2017) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2250509

KEYWORDS: Optical amplifiers, Pulsed laser operation, Ceramics, Laser applications, Prototyping, Laser systems engineering, Energy efficiency, Cryogenics, Semiconductor lasers, Harmonic generation

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Proceedings Article | 30 January 2013 Paper

CLF adaptive optics development program

A. Boyle, B. Parry, M. Galimberti, C. Hooker, S. Vassilev, C. Hernandez-Gomez

Proceedings Volume 8677, 86770E (2013) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2014051

KEYWORDS: Adaptive optics, Deformable mirrors, Wavefronts, Dielectrics, High power lasers, Laser systems engineering, Laser damage threshold, Optics manufacturing, Wave propagation, Telescopes

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Proceedings Article | 20 May 2010 Paper

Extreme light infrastructure: laser architecture and major challenges

J.-P. Chambaret, O. Chekhlov, G. Cheriaux, J. Collier, R. Dabu, P. Dombi, A. Dunne, K. Ertel, P. Georges, J. Hebling, J. Hein, C. Hernandez-Gomez, C. Hooker, S. Karsch, G. Korn, F. Krausz, C. Le Blanc, Zs. Major, F. Mathieu, T. Metzger, G. Mourou, P. Nickles, K. Osvay, B. Rus, W. Sandner, G. Szabó, D. Ursescu, K. Varjú

Proceedings Volume 7721, 77211D (2010) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.854687

KEYWORDS: Optical amplifiers, Amplifiers, Laser applications, Crystals, Laser systems engineering, Semiconductor lasers, Laser development, Physics, Nuclear physics, Laser crystals

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Proceedings Article | 25 July 2007 Paper

Development of petawatt laser amplification systems at the Central Laser Facility

O. Chekhlov, E. Divall, K. Ertel, S. Hawkes, C. Hooker, I. Ross, P. Matousek, C. Hernandez-Gomez, I. Musgrave, Y. Tang, T. Winstone, D. Neely, R. Clarke, P. Foster, S. Hancock, B. Wyborn, J. Collier

Proceedings Volume 6735, 67350J (2007) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.753222

KEYWORDS: Optical amplifiers, Crystals, Laser systems engineering, Gemini Observatory, Telescopes, Laser development, Mirrors, Colorimetry, Sapphire, Laser crystals

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Proceedings Article | 27 August 2003 Paper

VUV and soft x-ray emission from pre-plasmas irradiated with picosecond and femtosecond pulses

Adrian Murphy, John Hirsch, Deirdre Kilbane, Eugene Kennedy, Mohamed Khater, Jean-Paul Mosnier, Amit Neogi, Gerard O'Sullivan, Ciaran Lewis, S. Topping, Rob Clarke, Edwin Divall, Peta Foster, Chris Hooker, Andrew Langley, David Neely, Padraig Dunne, John Costello

Proceedings Volume 4876, (2003) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.464228

KEYWORDS: Plasma, X-rays, Vacuum ultraviolet, Picosecond phenomena, Pulsed laser operation, Copper, Spectroscopy, Femtosecond phenomena, Electro optics, Charge-coupled devices

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Proceedings Article | 14 July 1998 Paper

High-dynamic-range measurement of the temporal contrast of ultrashort UV pulses

Karoly Osvay, Ian Ross, J. Lister, Chris Hooker

Proceedings Volume 3423, (1998) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.316577

KEYWORDS: Ultraviolet radiation, Optical correlators, Crystals, Laser crystals, Nonlinear crystals, High dynamic range imaging, Picosecond phenomena, Difference frequency generation, Pulsed laser operation, Beam splitters

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Proceedings Article | 1 February 1994 Paper

Development of injector/amplifier XUV lasers and initial studies of ultrashort pulse UV multiphoton ionization

Michael Key, W. Blyth, Gerald Cairns, A. Damerell, A. Dangor, Colin Danson, J. Evans, Graeme Hirst, M. Holden, Chris Hooker, J. Houliston, J. Krishnan, Ciaran Lewis, J. Lister, Andrew MacPhee, Z. Najmudin, David Neely, Peter Norreys, Allen Offenberger, Karoly Osvay, Geoffrey Pert, S. Preston, Stuart Ramsden, Ian Ross, Wilson Sibbett, Gregory Tallents, C. Smith, Justin Wark, Jie Zhang

Proceedings Volume 2012, (1994) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.167389

KEYWORDS: Plasma, Optical amplifiers, Ionization, Extreme ultraviolet, Germanium, Mirrors, Pulsed laser operation, Diffraction, Ultraviolet radiation, Thomson scattering

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Proceedings Article | 8 July 1993 Paper

Development of high-brightness KrF lasers using both Raman and ultrashort-pulse CPA techniques

Ian Ross, Gabriel Bialolanker, J. Evans, K. Hill, Graeme Hirst, Chris Hooker, J. Houliston, Michael Key, J. Lister, G. New, Wilson Sibbett, M. Shaw, Sandor Szatmari, D. Wilson

Proceedings Volume 1860, (1993) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.147583

KEYWORDS: Raman spectroscopy, Amplifiers, Picosecond phenomena, Dispersion, Pulsed laser operation, Optical amplifiers, Waveguides, Scanning probe microscopy, Diffraction, Oscillators

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Proceedings Article | 29 July 1992 Paper

Near-angle transmission scattering in excimer laser components

David Sheerin, David Emmony, Chris Hooker, Ian Ross, M. Shaw

Proceedings Volume 1624, (1992) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.60106

KEYWORDS: Laser scattering, Scattering, Excimer lasers, Silica, Fluorine, Optical components, HF etching, Etching, Photography, Diffraction

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Proceedings Article | 1 February 1991 Paper

High-power KrF lasers

Michael Key, Rene Bailly-Salins, B. Edwards, Erol Harvey, Graeme Hirst, Chris Hooker, A. Kidd, E. Madraszek, P. Rodgers, Ian Ross, M. Shaw, M. Steyer

Proceedings Volume 1397, (1991) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.25996

KEYWORDS: Optical amplifiers, Raman spectroscopy, Amplifiers, Laser development, High power lasers, Glasses, Multiplexing, Diodes, Pulsed laser operation, Chemical lasers

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Showing 5 of 13 publications

SPIE Conference Volume | 1 May 2007

Adaptive Optics for Laser Systems and Other Applications

Conference Committee Involvement (1)

Adaptive Optics for Laser Systems and Other Applications

18 April 2007 | Prague, Czech Republic

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