Picosecond pulse amplification using a copper vapor laser

A high repetition amplification scheme for picosecond pulses has been developed using a copper vapor laser. Pulses of <5 ps full width at half‐maximum duration and ∼0.7 nJ energy from a synchronously pumped mode‐locked dye laser have been amplified up to ∼50 μJ. This technique offers an attractive means for the generation of stable, high repetition 5 kHz picosecond pulses which can be used advantageously for spectroscopic and Raman studies.