Teramobile: A mobile femtosecond-terawatt laser and detection system

¹ “Teramobile” project, Institut für Experimentalphysik, Freie Universität Berlin, Arnimallee 14, 14195 Berlin, Germany
² “Teramobile” project, Institut für Optik und Quantenelektronik, Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, Max-Wien-Platz 1, 07743 Jena, Germany
³ “Teramobile” project, LASIM, UMR CNRS 5579, Bât. A. Kastler, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, 43 Bd du 11 novembre 1918, 69619 Villeurbanne Cedex, France
⁴ “Teramobile” project, LOA, ENSTA – École Polytechnique, Chemin de la Hunière, 91761 Palaiseau Cedex, France

Corresponding author: jerome.kasparian@lasim.univ-lyon1.fr

Received: 10 December 2001
Revised: 29 January 2002
Accepted: 18 February 2002
Published online: 15 November 2002

Abstract

We describe the Teramobile system, a new mobile femtosecond multi-terawatt laser and detection system based on a state-of-the art CPA laser system embedded in a standard freight container, as well as a mobile detection unit allowing a characterization of the nonlinear propagation of high power laser pulses over long horizontal distances. The unique mobility feature of the whole system opens the way to previously unreachable applications for high-power laser pulses in the field of atmospheric research (lidar, laser-triggered lightning), which are also briefly reviewed.