Frequency-Modulated Pulse-Amplification Method for Reducing Pulse Shape Distortion

To reduce the laser pulse shape distortion accompanying the amplification process and achieve an intended output pulse shape in the Nd:YAG amplifier chain, we propose a frequency-modulated pulse-amplification method. Assuming carrier-frequency-modulated seed pulses, we numerically simulate the pulse amplification in an Nd:YAG amplifier chain where severe distortion occurs. For the calculation, we develop a modified Frantz-Nodvik equation, which enables two inputs with different carrier frequencies. The simulation results indicate that the temporal contrast of the seed pulse needed to obtain a flat output pulse shape is reduced by 16 - 25 dB when frequency modulation is applied.