The complex reconstruction of the High Field Laboratory at MBI has started in 2008. During 2010 a new 100 TW-Laser (Amplitude Technologies) was installed and the whole two beam facility together with a new lab incorporating radiation shielding will be brought into operation in 2011. Due to the 10 Hz repetition rate in both arms complex pump-probe experiments at relativistic laser intensities can be realized which were hardly to handle with a single shot laser.

A view to both laser arms in the laser hall is visible below:

Synchronized operation of both amplifier chains will enable staged or pump-probe high energy particle acceleration experiments in a new lab area which has been built in2010:

After first experiemnts in 2011 (cf. highlights) extensive pump probe experiments with two beams start in 2012:

A view back:

Our new facility replaces the Ti:Sa - Nd:Glass Laser setup which was used in a synchronized mode for first pump-probe experiments of plasmas produced at relativistic laser intensity. (cf. project 2.01 proton imaging)

The old CPA Nd: Glass Laser - the first powerful ps TW - glass laser in Germany - has run out of time after 15 years of development, laseer research and use in different experiments.

Foto below: CPA Nd:glass laser system (with a 240 fs glass oscillator and Ti:Sapphire regenerative amplifier, followed by Nd:glass amplifiers) with two parallel, linear amplifier chains; 1053 nm, two beams with 7J / 1ps, I ~ 10E18 W/cm² and 10 J / 1.5 ns; at full energy 1 shot each 20 min.

Red boxes are flashlamp-pumped rod amplifiers (maximum diameter 60 mm), white tubes are vacuum spatial filters

The most prominent result achieved with this laser was the first realization of a x-ray laser based on transient gain - a scheme which all table top and optically pumped x-ray lasers are using to date. (PRL 78, 2748 (1997)

Reconstruction starts:

Also the capacitor bench which has delivered the power for the flash lamps pumping the Nd:glass rod amplifiers will pass:

During reconstruction and building the new radiation shielding (2010) heavy machinery came into operation:

And now beamline construction 2010 - 2011 and experiment preparation will start:

Welcome to the machine !