Current status of the LUCIA laser system

The current status of the LUCIA laser program is discussed. While aiming at 100J, 10Hz, 10ns, a first milestone is set at 10 Joules with a repetition rate of 1-3 Hz. 7ns long, sub-mJ pulses generated by a cavity-dumped oscillator are first preamplified at the sub-J level. Thermal effects limit amplification and repetition rate at this stage. These pulses will be injected into the main amplifier, where amplification is limited by amplified spontaneous emission. It is expected that these pulses reach energy level of ∼10J.