Ho:YLF chirped pulse amplification at kilohertz repetition rates-4.3ps pulses at 2[mu]m with GW peak power

A 2 [mu]m chirped pulse amplification source generates 55 mJ picosecond pulses at a 1 kHz repetition rate. The system consists of a high-gain Ho:YLF regenerative amplifier (RA) operating in the single-energy regime and a dual-rod Ho:YLF power amplifier. Pulses of ~ 10mJ energy from the RA are linearly scaled up to 55 mJ in the power amplifier, corresponding to a high overall extraction efficiency of >20%. The system displays an exceptional high stability with a pulse-to-pulse rms as low as 0.3%. Pulse compression is performed up to the 25 mJ energy level, resulting in pulses close to the Fourier-transform limit with a duration of 4.3 ps and a peak power of 4.4 GW.