Patent Number: 
Section: claims

1. An optical pulse compression system comprising: a laser region comprising a primary laser source to generate a multiplicity of independent optical beams; a compression section comprising a plurality of compression stages and an active time delay section, wherein each successive compression stage is directly pumped by the output of the preceding compression stage; a target chamber housing a target within a vacuum; a transient aperture located in a region between said laser region and said target chamber; a plurality of seed lasers arranged to drive the active time delay section and the compression stages; wherein the active time delay section comprises a plurality of mirrors spaced at different distances apart arranged within channels; and wherein each channel of the active time delay section is pumped separately and the output is redirected back towards the next compression stage; and a Raman aperture combiner to spatially compress the primary laser source in a transverse dimension. 2. The system of claim 1, further comprising: a plurality of Raman Aperture Combiners to amplify the pulse format; and wherein the plurality of seed lasers each have different spectral, temporal and wavefront characteristic to drive each mirror differently. 3. The system of claim 2, further comprising:a vacuum transition section positioned between said compression section and said target chamber;a vacuum transition aperture positioned between said target chamber and said vacuum transition section; andwherein said transient aperture temporarily separates the vacuum transition section from said compression section. 4. The system of claim 1, further comprising:a vacuum transition section positioned between said compression section and said target chamber;a vacuum transition aperture positioned between said target chamber and said vacuum transition section; andwherein said transient aperture temporarily separates the vacuum transition section from said compression section. 5. The system of claim 1, further comprising:a plurality of parallel elements forming each compression stage, wherein each element is driven by a different color from the elements of the previous compression stage. 6. The system of claim 1, further comprising:a plurality of parallel elements forming each compression stage, wherein each element has a different scattering frequency shift. 7. The system of claim 1, wherein said optical pulse compression system operates at approximately 1 atmosphere gas pressure. 8. A method of optical pulse compression comprising: generating a multiplicity of independent optical beams from a primary laser source of a laser region; receiving said optical beam through a compression section, wherein said compression section comprises a plurality of compression stages and an active time delay section; receiving said optical beam upon a target housed within a vacuum of a target chamber; receiving said optical beam through a transient aperture, wherein said transient aperture is located between the laser region and the target chamber; directly pumping each successive compression stage by the output of the preceding compression stage; driving a plurality of mirrors of the active time delay section and the compression stages with a plurality of seed laser beams; arranging the plurality of mirrors at different distances apart within channels and pumping each channel separately; redirecting the output back towards the next compression stage; and spatially compressing the primary laser source in a transverse dimension. 9. The method of claim 8, further comprising: amplifying the pulse format of a plurality of the optical beam of the primary laser source; driving each of the plurality mirrors at a different spectral, temporal and wavefront characteristic. 10. The method of claim 9, further comprising;positioning a vacuum transition section between the compression section and the target chamber;separating the target chamber from the vacuum transition section with a vacuum transition aperture; andtemporarily separating the vacuum transition section from the compression section with a transient aperture. 11. The method of claim 8, further comprising:positioning a vacuum transition section between the compression section and the target chamber;separating the target chamber from the vacuum transition section with a vacuum transition aperture; andtemporarily separating the vacuum transition section from the compression section with a transient aperture. 12. The method of claim 8, further comprising:arranging a plurality of a parallel elements to form each compression stage; anddriving each element by a different color from the elements of the previous compression stage. 13. The method of claim 8, further comprising:arranging a plurality of a parallel elements to form each compression stage; andwherein each element has a different scattering frequency shift. 14. The method of claim 8, further comprising:operating at approximately 1 atmosphere gas pressure.