Clemens Heese

75 MW few-cycle mid-infrared pulses from a collinear apodized APPLN-based OPCPA

We present an ultra-broadband optical parametric chirped-pulse amplification (OPCPA) system operating at 3.4 µm center wavelength with a peak power of 75 MW. The OPCPA system is split into a pre- and a power-amplifier stage. Both stages are based on apodized aperiodically poled MgO:LiNbO3 (APPLN). The collinear mixing configuration allows us to manipulate the spectral phase of the output mid-infrared pulses by sending the near-infrared seed pulses through a pulse shaper. The system delivers clean 75-fs pulses with record-high 700 mW average power, corresponding to 7 µJ of pulse energy at a repetition rate of 100 kHz.

Role of apodization in optical parametric amplifiers based on aperiodic quasi-phasematching gratings

We experimentally demonstrate and analyze two different techniques for apodizing the nonlinear coupling in aperiodically poled MgO:LiNbO(3) (APPLN) used in an ultrabroadband optical parametric chirped pulse amplifier (OPCPA). With an adiabatic increase of the nonlinear coupling, a smooth gain spectrum and spectral phase is preserved during amplification in such media. The two approaches we explore are poling period apodization (PPA) and duty cycle apodization (DCA). For the first implementation of the apodized APPLN amplifier we use a constant chirp-rate in the grating k-vector. The nonlinear coupling is apodized over 10% of the total length at each side of the APPLN chip. This allows us to achieve high-intensity output pulses with clean temporal structure.

High-power mid-infrared optical parametric chirped-pulse amplifier based on aperiodically poled Mg:LiNbO 3

We present a 3.3-μm ultrabroadband, low-noise optical parametric amplification system based on aperiodically poled Mg:LiNbO3 yielding 1.4 W average power at 100-kHz repetition rate. The output spectrum supports 56-fs transform-limited pulses.

1 µJ from a high repetition rate femtosecond optical parametric chirped-pulse amplifier in the mid-infrared

We demonstrate a mid-infrared optical parametric chirped-pulse amplifier with a pulse energy of 1 µJ at 100 kHz repetition rate. Its output is compressed to 92 fs by a prism compressor and characterized by SHG-FROG.

High Repetition Rate, 93-MW mid-infrared Optical Parametric-chirped Pulse Amplifier Based on Apodized Aperiodically Poled Mg:LiNbO 3

We present an ultra-broadband optical parametric amplification system based on apodized, aperiodically poled Mg:LiNbO3 delivering clean 75-fs pulse with energies of 7 µJ at 3.4 µm and a repetition rate of 100 kHz.

50-MW, 12-ps Nd:YVO 4 slab amplifier for OPCPA pumping

The paper presents a four-pass Nd:YVO4 InnoSlab amplifier with a record high peak power of 50 MW and 12 ps pulse duration. It exhibits excellent noise performance with pulse fluctuation below 0.8% rms.Most of them are limited to repetition rates below 10 kHz. The InnoSlab concept is adopted for amplifying energetic picosecond pulses at 50-100 kHz repetition rate from a Duetto laser from Time-Bandwidth Products Inc. This concept has been proven for the amplification of low peak-power lasers without deteriorating beam quality and noise performance

Ultra-broadband optical parametric chirped-pulse amplifier based on aperiodically poled Mg∶LiNbO 3 in the mid-infrared

We present an ultra-broadband optical parametric amplification system based on aperiodically poled Mg∶LiNbO<inf>3</inf> providing 800 nm bandwidth around 3.4 µm in a 7.4-mm long medium. It delivers 75 fs pulses with 1.5 µJ pulse energy.

Ultra-Broadband Optical Parametric Chirped-Pulse Amplifier Based on Aperiodically Poled Mg:LiNbO 3 in the Mid-Infrared at High Repetition Rates

We present an ultra-broadband optical parametric amplification system based on aperiodically poled Mg:LiNbO3 providing 800 nm bandwidth around 3.4 µm in a 7.4-mm long medium. It delivers pulse energies of 1.5 µJ and 75 fs.

1-µJ, Sub-100-fs pulses from a high-repetition-rate optical parametric chirped-pulse amplifier in the mid-infrared

Ultrashort laser pulses in the mid-infrared are important for applications ranging from time resolved spectroscopy to high-field science. Vibrational transitions of many molecules [1–3] reside in the wavelength range around 3.6 µm. On the other hand, mid-infrared sources hold promise to permit the extension of attosecond pulse generation to higher photon energies compared to Ti:sapphire laser driven schemes [4].