Application of an adaptive mirror system for high intensity experiments with MBI multiterwatt Ti:sapphire laser

The quality of the laser beam wave front is one of the most important parameters limiting the laser intensity available for laser-matter interactions. Application of an adaptive mirror can substantially improve the wave front parameters, thus increasing maximum focusable intensity. Optimizing the laser beam with the adaptive system we succeeded to improve the Strehl ratio of the recompressed pulse from /spl sim/ 0.3 to /spl sim/0.5-0.6, achieving focusable intensity of /spl ges/1019 W/cm/sup 2/ at duration of the laser pulse of 35 fs.