A hundred TW dual laser system for compact laser plasma accelerators, laser driven photon sources, and HED experiments at BELLA Center

We present the BELLA 100 TW two-beam laser system as a capable platform for the development of laser plasma accelerators, related light sources in the keV and MeV range, and collaborative experiments in the HED and nuclear nonproliferation application spaces. Both laser arms are independently tunable with compressible multipass-amplifier arrays (2.8 J and 0.7 J on target, down to 40 fs pulse duration, repetition rate up to 5 Hz) with the seed-beam split off just after the common CPA stretcher. Stable electron beams, Betatron x-rays (keV, broadband) and Thomson scattered photons (MeV, quasimonoenergetic) have been established. The facility is available to the scientific community through LaserNetUS; successful user experiments have been conducted, e.g., recording electron deflectometries and phase contrast images of hydrodynamic shocks with Betatron x-rays. The first high-resolution radiographs with the MeV photon source from Thomson scattering have been recorded, paving the way for further scientific developments and applications including nuclear nonproliferation. Ongoing upgrades include arm-independent temporal and spatial profile pulse control, pointing stability enhancements through fast active feedback, and single shot MeV spectrum characterization. This talk covers the experimental system, highlights recent experiments, and describes ongoing efforts to improve system performance.