Inertial Fusion Sciences and Applications 2005
J.-C. Gauthier, et al.
J. Phys. IV France 133 (2006) 615-620
DOI: 10.1051/jp4:2006133122

The HALNA project: Diode-pumped solid-state laser for inertial fusion energy

T. Kawashima^{1, 2}, T. Ikegawa^{1, 2}, J. Kawanaka¹, N. Miyanaga¹, M. Nakatsuka¹, Y. Izawa¹, O. Matsumoto², R. Yasuhara², T. Kurita², T. Sekine², M. Miyamoto², H. Kan², H. Furukawa³, S. Motokoshi³ and T. Kanabe<sup>4

1</sup>  Institute of Laser Enegineering, Osaka University, 2-6, Yamada-Oka, Suita 565-0871, Japan
²  Hamamatsu Photonics K.K., 5000 Hirakuchi, Hamamatsu 434-8601, Japan
³  Insutitute for Laser Technology, 1-8-4, Utsubo-Honmachi, Nishiku, Osaka 550-0004, Japan
⁴  University of Fukui, 3-9-1, Bunkyou, Fukui 910-8507, Japan

Abstract
High-enery, rep.-rated, diode-pumped solid-state laser (DPSSL) is one of leading candidates for inertial fusion energy driver (IFE) and related laser-driven high-field applications. The project for the development of IFE laser driver in Japan, HALNA (High Average-power Laser for Nuclear Fusion Application) at ILE, Osaka University, aims to demonstrate 100-J pulse energy at 10 Hz rep. rate with 5 times diffraction limited beam quality. In this article, the advanced solid-state laser technologies for one half scale of HALNA (50 J, 10 Hz) are presented including thermally managed slab amplifier of Nd:phosphate glass and zig-zag optical geometry, and uniform, large-area diode-pumping.

© EDP Sciences 2006