Impact of moving to 2 micron laser wavelengths on High Energy Density Science applications

High peak power ( > 100 TW) short pulse ( < 10 ps) lasers operating near 1 μm now provide bright particle and photon sources for a myriad of applications, from proton deflectometry[1] to flash radiography[2]. The utility of these lasers, however, is limited by their low average power. A new laser architecture, based on Tm:YLF, has been proposed that has the potential to dramatically increase average power by 1000 fold, thereby allowing a laser source to access a whole new class of applications (e.g., static radiography and medical applications) that require high average power that are currently accessible only by conventional particle accelerators. However, Tm:YLF systems produce laser light closer to 2 μm, rather than the usual 1 μm light used now. We compare and contrast the performance of sample HEDS applications for both wavelengths via simulation studies, and consider the impact this switch to longer wavelength would have on these existing and future applications. [1] P.-E. Masson-Laborde et al. PRE 99, 053207 (2019) [2] R. Tommasini et al. PRL 125, 155003 (2020)