Hybrid master oscillator power amplifier system providing 10 mJ, 32 W, and 50 MW pulses for optical parametric chirped-pulse amplification pumping

We present a high-energy, high-average-power picosecond laser system based on a hybrid chain in a master oscillator power aplifier configuration. The chain is seeded by a Ti:sapphire oscillator, followed by a Yb-doped fiber preamplifier, a Nd:YAG-based regenerate amplifier, and a Nd:YVO sub(4)-based single-pass amplifier. The final diode-pumped, solid state amplifier is detailed and produces pulses with more than 10 mJ energy at 32 W average power with 207 ps duration, corresponding to 50 MW peak power. The picosecond pulse output is seeded and optically synchronized with the sub-5-fs oscillator for optical parametric chirped-pulse amplification pumping.