There is provided a method for producing ultraintense laser pulses in which Stimulated Raman Back-Scattering (SRBS) amplifies and compresses a seed pulse (185), as well as an inventive compact plasma device which may implement the method. SRBS may be achieved by counter-propagating the seed pulse (185) and a pump pulse (190) through a few millimeter-long plasma (195) having a plasma frequency equal to the difference between the pump and the seed pulse frequencies. Dichroic mirrors (305,306) may be arranged to provide two amplifying and compression passes through the plasma, allowing greater seed pulse amplification by mitigating Landau damping within the plasma that would occur in a single pass of a plasma of double the length. Alternate examples provide for 2n number of amplification and compression passes by providing n short plasma columns, where n≥2, and additional, appropriately arranged dichroic mirrors. The compact size of the device, and the ultraintense, ultrashort pulses it emits, suit the device to dermatological applications.
