Efficient generation of ultra-intense few-cycle radially polarized laser pulses

Opt Lett. 2014 Apr 15;39(8):2487-90. doi: 10.1364/OL.39.002487.

Abstract

We report on efficient generation of millijoule-level, kilohertz-repetition-rate few-cycle laser pulses with radial polarization by combining a gas-filled hollow-waveguide compression technique with a suitable polarization mode converter. Peak power levels >85 GW are routinely achieved, capable of reaching relativistic intensities >10(19) W/cm2 with carrier-envelope-phase control, by employing readily accessible ultrafast high-energy laser technology.