Stretching: The initial ultrashort pulse is stretched using a device called a chirped pulse stretcher. This reduces the peak power of the pulse, preventing damage to the amplification medium. Amplification: The stretched pulse is then amplified using a laser amplifier. Since the pulse is stretched, it can be amplified to high energies without damaging the amplification medium. Compression: Finally, the amplified pulse is compressed back to its original duration using a chirped pulse compressor. This results in a high-energy, ultrashort pulse.
