title: Broadband conversion in an Yb:KYW-pumped ultrafast optical parametric oscillator with a long nonlinear crystal.
abstract: We report the generation of 200-nm-bandwidth mid-infrared pulses at 3.5-µm from an optical parametric oscillator incorporating a 25-mm MgO:PPLN crystal and synchronously-pumped by chirped pulses from a fiber-amplified Yb:KYW laser. A long nonlinear crystal permits efficient transfer of the pump bandwidth into the idler pulses, achieves exceptional passive stability and enables pumping using chirped pulses directly from a fiber-amplifier, avoiding the need to use lossy pulse-compression optics.
authors.affiliation: Scottish Universities Physics Alliance (SUPA), Department of Physics, School of Engineering and Physical Sciences, Heriot-Watt University, Riccarton, Edinburgh, UK. z.zhang@hw.ac.uk
authors.forename: Zhaowei
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Jinghua
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Tom
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Gardiner
authors.forename: Derryck T
authors.initials: DT
authors.lastname: Reid