Lawrence Livermore Petawatt Laser System Reaches Continuous Operation

The High-Repetition-Rate Advanced Petawatt Laser System (HAPLS) at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) has demonstrated continuous operation of an all-diode-pumped, high-energy femtosecond petawatt laser system.

With completion of this milestone, the system is ready for delivery and integration at the European Extreme Light Infrastructure (ELI) Beamlines facility project in the Czech Republic. HAPLS set a world record for diode-pumped petawatt lasers, with energy reaching 16 J and a 28-fs pulse duration at a 3.3-Hz repetition rate. In three years, HAPLS went from concept to a fully integrated and record-breaking product, representing a new generation of application-enabling diode-pumped, high-energy and high-peak-power laser systems with innovative technologies originating from the Department of Energy’s fusion laser research and development.

“Lawrence Livermore takes pride in pushing science and technology to regimes never achieved before,” said Bill Goldstein, director of LLNL. “Twenty years ago, LLNL pioneered the first petawatt laser, the NOVA Petawatt, representing a quantum leap forward in peak power. Today, HAPLS leads a new generation of petawatt lasers, with capabilities not seen before.”

LLNL is a multi-program national security laboratory focused on strengthening U.S. security through the development and application of science and technology to enhance defense and reduce threats.