Generation and Parametric Amplification of Few-Cycle Light Pulses at Relativistic Intensities

The book describes several concepts for the generation of broadband, high-energy and high-contrast seed pulses, as well as the OPCPA development, few-cycle pulse compression and contrast characterization in a concise and insightful manner. The theory chapter serves as an excellent andaccessible primer on OPCPA and other nonlinear interactions, while the experimental parts provide an excellent description of the challenges of developing such a novel architecture and some of the innovative solutions to overcome them.