title: Hybrid seeded femtosecond optical parametric amplifier.
abstract: We propose and demonstrate a novel hybrid seeded optical parametric amplifier (OPA) that incorporates an external CW seeding at signal wavelength in the first stage and difference-frequency mixing between the idler and pump in the second stage. By using a germanium plate to block the CW seeding background, spectrally and temporally clean signal pulses with duration less than 150 fs and energy up to 17 muJ are obtained with a MgO:LiNbO3-based hybrid seeded OPA. The device may provide direct tunability to some extent and delivers signal pulses tunable from 1.01 mum to 1.08 mum.
authors.forename: Hang
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.forename: Liejia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Qian
authors.forename: Peng
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Yuan
authors.forename: Heyuan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Shuangchun
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wen