Author:
Tang Y.,Egan D.,Chekhlov O.,Hawkes S.,Hernandez-Gomez C.,Collier J.,Rajeev P. P.
Abstract
We have demonstrated the contrast pedestal enhancement by deploying a high quality transmission grating in the Gemini laser stretcher. We also report a method to quantitatively evaluate the impact of individual large optics in the stretcher on the contrast pedestal of high power Ti:Sa laser pulses by precisely quantitative characterization of the surface quality of large optics. The simulated results are in a good agreement with the experimental measurement.