Abstract:

X-ray Free Electron Laser (FEL) facilities place challenging demands on the stability and versatile configuration of ultrafast optical lasers for the FEL electron source, for FEL seeding and for pump-probe experiments. I will give an overview of recent ultrafast laser developments for the X-ray FEL facilities FLASH and European XFEL in Hamburg, Germany and discuss how the requirements for future facilities will push the frontiers for high peak and average power, precision timing, and stability and reliability of ultrafast lasers.

About the speaker:

PhD in 1999 from Ludwig-Maximillian University, Munich. After postdoc at MIT, Cambridge, MA., Dr, Ingmar Hartl pursued pioneering development of ultrashort fiber lasers and laser frequency combs and applications at IMRA America (Ann Arbor, Ill.). Since 2013 he is heading the development of high-precision and high-power ultrafast lasers for X-FEL in Hamburg and has a unique oversight of the efforts for future laser-driven electron accelerators. Dr. Ingmar Hartl is a fellow of the OSA.