Max Born Institute for Nonlinear Optics and Short Pulse Spectroscopy
Max Born Institute for Nonlinear Optics and Short Pulse Spectroscopy

MBI Staff Member – Personal info

Dr. Tamás Nagy

tamas.nagy(at)mbi-berlin.de
+49 30 6392 1270

A3: Ultrafast Lasers and Nonlinear Optics
Building A, 3.26

Position

Research

In contemporary ultrafast science one of the main challenges is the energy and average power scaling of few-cycle pulse generation, which can extend the scope of ultrafast experiments. Basically, there are two different approaches for the generation of few-cycle drivers: one is based on traditional ultrafast lasers, most frequently on Ti:sapphire basis. However, the available gain bandwidth of laser media poses a severe limitation on the achievable minimal pulse duration, preventing the direct amplification of high-energy few-cycle pulses. In order to overcome this limitation the amplified pulses are spectrally broadened by nonlinear optical effects and subsequently compressed by chirp compensation. Although today's laser technology is capable of delivering tens of millijoules of pulse energy at multi-kHz repetition rates, the pulse compression stage has been limiting the achievable energy of few-cycle pulses. In the last years in close cooperation with Laser-Laboratorium Göttingen e.V. we have been focusing on the energy scalability of hollow-core fiber (HCF) compressors, the most widely used devices for spectral broadening of energetic pulses. For this purpose we introduced the stretched flexible HCF allowing free length scalability, which plays a key role in energy scaling. Based on our HCF technology recently we reached the TW power level at sub-2-cycle duration.

The other approach for high-energy few-cycle pulse generation is based on optical parametric amplification, where the amplification bandwidth is only limited by the phase matching condition. In this way direct amplification of few-cycle pulses is achievable. Currently we are working on a high-energy 100Hz few-cycle OPCPA system in the near-IR spectral range based on in-house pump laser development. Our objective is to exploit the potentials of both competing technologies in order to produce few cycle driver pulses well beyond 10mJ energy.

Another important aspect of ultrafast technology is pulse characterization, which is inevitable for successful light source development. In the last years we developed a number of frequency resolved optical gating (FROG) setups optimized for few-cycle pulse characterization, while currently we are investigating the dispersion scan (d-scan) technique.

Curriculum vitae

04/2016 - presentStaff scientist, Max Born Institute, Berlin, Germany
04/2012 - 03/2016Research fellow 20%, Laser-Laboratorium Göttingen e.V., Germany
10/2011 - 03/2016Post-doctoral researcher 80%, Intitute of Quantum Optics, Leibniz Universität Hannover, Germany
10/2004 - 09/2011Research fellow, Laser-Laboratorium Göttingen e.V., Germany
09/2000 - 09/2004R&D scientist, Lambda Physik AG, Göttingen, Germany
06/2000PhD in Physics (summa cum laude) Thesis: "Optimization of high intensity KrF lasers" University of Szeged, Hungary, Prof. Dr. Sándor Szatmári
07/1997 - 08/2000Assistant researcher, University of Szeged, Hungary
09/1994 - 06/1997PhD student, Attila József University Szeged, Hungary
06/1994MS degree in physics (with honour) Thesis: "Development of symmetry breaking during laser-induced oxidation", Attila József University Szeged, Hungary, Prof. Dr. László Nánai
09/1989 - 06/1994Physics studies, Attila József University Szeged, Hungary

Honors and Awards

2018OSA Senior Member

Professional Service

General Chair, High-Intensity Lasers and High-Field Phenomena (HILAS), Strasbourg, 2018

Program Chair, High-Intensity Lasers and High-Field Phenomena (HILAS), Long Beach, 2016

 

Team Members

Martin Kretschmar Dr.

Recent highlight(s)

New compressor delivers above-terawatt 1.5-cycle pulses at kilohertz repetition rate

Few-cycle pulses break the 300 W barrier

MBI Publications

  1. Ho:YLF regenerative amplifier delivering 22 mJ, 2.0 ps pulses at a 1 kHz repetition rate

    M. Bock, L. von Grafenstein, D. Ueberschaer, M. Mero, T. Nagy, U. Griebner

     Optics Express 32 (2024) 23499-23509
  2. Temporal contrast enhancement of a Ti:Sapphire laser by nonlinear Fourier filtering

    S. Szatmári, T. Nagy, R. Dajka, M. Á. Kedves, M. Aladi, I. B. Földes

     Optics Express 32 (2024) 17038-17047
  3. Compact realization of all-attosecond pump-probe spectroscopy

    M. Kretschmar, E. Svirplys, M. Volkov, T. Witting, T. Nagy, M. J. J. Vrakking, B. Schütte

     Science Advances 10 (2024) 1-7
  4. Attosecond investigation of extreme-ultraviolet multi-photon multi-electron ionization

    M. Kretschmar, A. Hadjipittas, B. Major, J. Tümmler, I. Will, T. Nagy, M. J. J. Vrakking, A. Emmanouilidou, B. Schütte

     Optica 9 (2022) 639-644
  5. High-order harmonic spectroscopy in an ionized high-density target

    H. Kurz, M. Kretschmar, T. Binhammer, T. Nagy, D. Ristau, M. Lein, U. Morgner, M. Kovacev

     Frontiers in Physics online (2022) 1-5
  6. Cage solitons

    G. Steinmeyer, T. Nagy, I. Babushkin, C. Mei

     SPIE Proceedings Series 11986 (2022) 1198602/1-6
  7. All-optical attoclock for imaging tunnelling wavepackets

    I. Babushkin, Á. Jiménez-Galán, J. R. C. Andrade, A. Husakou, F. Morales, M. Kretschmar, T. Nagy, V. Vaičaitis, L. Shi, D. Zuber, L. Bergé, S. Skupin, I. A. Nikolaeva, N. A. Panov, D. E. Shipilo, O. G. Kosareva, A. N. Pfeiffer, A. Demircan, M. J. J. Vrakking, U. Morgner, M. Y. Ivanov

     Nature Physics online (2022)
  8. Spatial cage solitons - taming light bullets

    C. Mei, I. Babushkin, T. Nagy, G. Steinmeyer

     Photonics Research 10 (2022) 01000148/1-7
  9. Femtosecond multi-10-mJ pulses at 2 µm wavelength by compression in a hollow-core fiber

    T. Nagy, L. von Grafenstein, D. Ueberschaer, U. Griebner

     Optics Letters 42 (2021) 3033-3036
  10. CEO-stable pulses from a 1kW fiber CPA

    E. Shestaev, S. Haedrich, N. Walther, T. Nagy, P. Simon, A. Blumenstein, A. Klenke, R. Klas, J. Buldt, H. Stark, M. Gebhardt, S. Breitkopf, C. Gaida, P. Jójárt, I. Seres, Z. Várallyay, Á. Börzsöny, T. Eidam, J. Limpert

     SPIE Proceedings 116760 (2021) 116760K/1-1

Other Publications

1. Revealing the Microscopic Real-Space Excursion of a Laser-Driven Electron
H.G. Kurz, M. Kretschmar, T. Binhammer, T. Nagy, D. Ristau, M. Lein, U. Morgner, M. Kovacev
Phys. Rev. X 6, 031029 (2016)

2. Impact of spatial inhomogeneities on on-axis pulse reconstruction in femtosecond filaments
C. Brée, M. Kretschmar, T. Nagy, H. G. Kurz, U. Morgner, and M. Kovačev
J. Phys. B: At. Mol. Opt. Phys. 48, 094002 (2015)

3. Direct observation of pulse dynamics and self-compression along a femtosecond filament
M. Kretschmar, C. Brée, T. Nagy, A. Demircan, H. G. Kurz, U. Morgner, and M. Kovačev
Opt. Express 22, 22905-22916 (2014)

4. Compression of CEP-stable multi-mJ laser pulses down to 4 fs in long hollow fibers
F. Böhle, M. Kretschmar, A. Jullien, M. Kovacs, M. Miranda, R. Romero, H. Crespo, U. Morgner, P. Simon, R. Lopez-Martens, and T. Nagy
Laser Phys. Lett. 11, 095401 (2014)

5. Nano-antennae assisted emission of extreme ultraviolet radiation
N. Pfullmann, M. Noack, J. Cardoso de Andrade, S. Rausch, T. Nagy, C. Reinhardt, V. Knittel, R. Bratschitsch, A. Leitenstorfer, D. Akemeier, A. Hütten, M. Kovacev, and U. Morgner
Ann. Phys. 526, 119-134 (2014)

6. Pulse characterization by THG d-scan in absorbing nonlinear media
M. Hoffmann, T. Nagy, T. Willemsen, M. Jupé, D. Ristau, and U. Morgner
Opt. Express 22, 5234-5240 (2014)

7. Bow-tie nano-antenna assisted generation of extreme ultraviolet radiation
N. Pfullmann, C. Waltermann, M. Noack, S. Rausch, T. Nagy, C. Reinhardt, M. Kovačev, V. Knittel, R. Bratschitsch, D. Akemeier, A. Hütten, A. Leitenstorfer, and U. Morgner
New J. Phys. 15, 093027 (2013)

8. Laser-induced condensation by ultrashort laser pulses at 248 nm
P. Joly, M. Petrarca, A. Vogel, T. Pohl, T. Nagy, Q. Jusforgues, P. Simon, J. Kasparian, K. Weber, and J.-P. Wolf
Appl. Phys. Lett. 102, 091112 (2013)

9. Optimal pulse compression in long hollow fibers
T. Nagy, V. Pervak, and P. Simon
Opt. Lett. 36, 4422-4424 (2011)

10. Generation of 200-mu J, sub-25-fs deep-UV pulses using a noble-gas-filled hollow fiber
T. Nagy, and P. Simon
Opt. Lett. 34, 2300-2302 (2009)

11. Single-shot TG FROG for the characterization of ultrashort DUV pulses
T. Nagy, and P. Simon
Opt. Express 17, 8144-8151 (2009)

12. Flexible hollow fiber for pulse compressors
T. Nagy, M. Forster, and P. Simon
Appl. Opt. 47, 3264-3268 (2008)

13. Hollow-fiber pulse compressor for KrF lasers
J. H. Klein-Wiele, T. Nagy, and P. Simon
Appl. Phys. B 82, 567-570 (2006)

14. Changes in DRIFT spectra of wood irradiated by UV laser as a function of energy
G. Papp, E. Barta, E. Preklet, L. Tolvaj, O. Berkesi, T. Nagy, and S. Szatmári
J. Photochem. Photobiol., A 173, 137-142 (2005)

15. Changes in DRIFT spectra of softwood irradiated by UV laser as a function of energy
E. Barta, G. Papp, E. Preklet, L. Tolvaj, O. Berkesi, T. Nagy, and S. Szatmári
Acta Silv. Lign. Hung. 1, 83-91 (2005)

16. Sub-0.25-pm 50-W amplified excimer laser system for 193-nm lithography
S. Govorkov, A. Wiessner, G. Hua, T. Misuryaev, A. Knysh, S. Spratte, P. Lokai, T. Nagy, I. Bragin, A. Targsdorf, T. Schroeder, H.‑S. Albrecht, R. Desor, T. Schmidt, and R. Paetzel
Proc. SPIE 5377, 1787-1796 (2004)

17. High-power excimer lasers for 157-nm lithography
S. Spratte, F. Voss, I. Bragin, E. Bergmann, N. Niemoeller, T. Nagy, U. Rebhan, A. Targsdorf, R. Paetzel, S. Govorkov, and G. Hua
Proc. SPIE 5040, 1344-1351 (2003)

18. High-Power High-Repetition Rate F2-Lasers for 157 nm Lithography
K. Vogler, I. Klaft, F. Voss, I. Bragin, E. Bergmann, T. Nagy, N. Niemoeller, S. Spratte, R. Paetzel, G. Hua, and S. Govorkov
Proc. SPIE 4691, 660-670 (2002)

19. Advanced F2-lasers for 157 nm Lithography
K. Vogler, I. Klaft, F. Voss, I. Bragin, E. Bergmann, T. Nagy, N. Niemoeller, R. Paetzel, S. Govorkov, and G. Hua
Proc. SPIE 4346, 1175-1182 (2001)

20. Effect of UV-laser irradiation on structural changes of maplewood lignin-polysaccharide comlpex
B. Kosikova, V. Sasinkova, L. Tolvaj, G. Papp, S. Szatmári, and T. Nagy
Drev. Vysk. 46, 11-18 (2001)

21. Spectral development of short pulses in KrF gain modules
T. Nagy, P. Simon, and S. Szatmari
Appl. Phys. B 71, 495-501 (2000)

22. Spectral evolution of short pulses in KrF amplifiers
T. Nagy, P. Simon, and S. Szatmari
Laser Phys. 10, 387-390 (2000)

23. Photodegradation of leaf-woods caused by 248.5 nm laser
E. Barta, L. Tolvaj, T. Nagy, S. Szatmári, O. Berkesi, and G. Papp
Drev. Vysk. 44, 13-19 (1999)

24. Harmonic generation in plasmas of different density gradients
I. B. Foldes, J. S. Bakos, Z. Bakonyi, T. Nagy, and S. Szatmari
Phys. Lett. A 258, 312-316 (1999)

25. Wood degradation caused by UV-laser of 248 nm wavelength
E. Barta, L. Tolvaj, G. Papp, T. Nagy, S. Szatmári, and O. Berkesi
Holz Roh Werkst. 56, 318-318 (1998)

26. Nonlinear spectral filtering of femtosecond pulses
P. Simon, T. Nagy, and S. Szatmari
Opt. Commun. 145, 155-158 (1998)

27. Optimization of the output beam homogeneity of short-pulse KrF amplifiers
M. Feuerhake, P. Simon, G. Almasi, T. Nagy, and S. Szatmari
Appl. Opt. 36, 4094-4098 (1997)

28. Harmonic generation in a UV laser plasma
I. B. Foldes, J. S. Bakos, G. Veres, Z. Bakonyi, T. Nagy, and S. Szatmari
IEEE J. Sel. Top. Quantum Electron. 2, 776-781 (1996)