Coherent combination of femtosecond pulses via non-collinear cross-correlation and far-field distribution

Abstract

We propose and demonstrate a method for active parallel coherent combinations of ultra-short laser pulses. The relative synchronization error, piston, and tilt between combined beams are controlled based on the non-collinear cross-correlation and the far-field distribution. In a proof-of-principle experiment, two 29.8 fs pulses are coherently combined with the combining efficiency as high as 99%. This study opens up a way to further scale the peak intensity and provides support for the next-generation ultra-intense laser systems.