Research facilities

The flagship of the equipment available at IPPL is the most powerful ultrashort laser pulse system in Greece, delivering 45 TW (1.1 J, <25 fs, 10 Hz), which can be focused at intensities exceeding 1021 Wcm-2 allowing experiments to be performed in cutting-edge research fields. IPPL also disposes a laser system with a very short pulse duration of 7 fs and phase stabilization (CEP) for special requirements experiments, as well as modern solid state laser systems with pulse duration of the order of ps and ns, with different wavelengths (colors) output. IPPL specialized equipment includes pulsed optoelectronic power devices (Plasma Focus, Z-pinch, X-pinch) for the creation of dense and hot plasma used both for the study of plasma dynamics and for the development of special applications. It also has well-equipped vacuum chambers for experiments, as well as high-quality other scientific equipment and diagnostic devices.

Indicative equipment is shown below:

 

 

Zeus TW-class ultrafast laser system

TW-class Ti:Sapphire-based ultrafast laser system – Amplitude Technologies S.A. – 45TW, 25fs, single-shot up to 10Hz and a 35fs,10mJ synchronized probe beam

 
 

Experimental vacuum chamber

 
Strong laser-matter interaction chamber Cylindrical stainless steel chamber, 1.5m diameter, 60cm height. Eight ISO-K-200 ports on side, four ISO-K-160 viewports on the top cover. Turbo-molecular vacuum pump on top, supported by oil-free scroll pump. Vacuum pressure below E-6 mbar. Gate valve with window for interconnection with the laser vacuum chamber.

 

Ultrafast Ti:Sapphire laser system

Femtolasers GmbH – Oscillator: <10fs, 400mW (avg), 80MHz CEP-stabilized Amplifier: 35fs, 1.5mJ pp, 1KHz CEP-stabilized External fiber compressor: <7fs, 0.8mJ pp, 1KHz CEP-stabilized

 

Dynamic nanosecond interferometry

Dynamic nanosecond interferometry for plasma and material characterization Single longitudinal mode Nd: YAG laser, 6ns, 850mJ pp (max), 10Hz, four harmonics (Quantel)

Pulsed Power X-pinch Device

High performance X-pinch plasma generator and picosecond optical probe diagnostics with the Q-switched SBS compressed Nd: YAG laser, 150ps, 250mJ, 10Hz four harmonics

 

ESPI system

Electronic Speckle Pattern Interferometry (ESPI) system Plasma & material characterization CW, DPSS Lasers for Interferometry and Holography 5W, 532nm, single longitudinal mode (Coherent) Ultra fast laser pulse characterization device (down to 5fs) 3D Holographic Camera MeV Electron Magnetic Energy Analyzer

Plasma focus device

Maximum Stored Energy ~ 400J at 19kV, Total Capacitance 2020nF ± 10%, Equivalent Inductance 38nH, Equivalent Resistance 87.4mΩ, Peak Current at 19kV ~90kA