Amplification of ultrashort laser pulses by a resonant Raman scheme in a gas-jet plasma

An amplification of up to ∼95 was demonstrated for short laser pulses by the resonant Raman scheme. The Raman amplification was demonstrated at corresponding frequencies in a gas-jet plasma. To obtain larger amplification, the seed intensity was enhanced, the spatial and temporal overlap between the seed and pump was refined and the axial uniformity of the plasma density was improved. The results show that a larger amplification is accompanied by a broader bandwidth and shorter pulse duration.