title: Broadband mid-infrared pulses from potassium titanyl arsenate/zinc germanium phosphate optical parametric amplifier pumped by Tm, Ho-fiber-seeded Ho:YAG chirped-pulse amplifier.
abstract: We present a concept of a white-light-seeded-cascaded mid-infrared (mid-IR) optical parametric amplifier (OPA) based on potassium titanyl arsenate and zinc germanium phosphate nonlinear optical crystals and producing 100-μJ level pulses centered at 5300 nm, with the spectrum supporting four-optical-cycle pulse duration. The OPA is pumped by 2090-nm master oscillator/power amplifier based on a Tm,Ho-fiber laser seeder and a Ho:YAG regenerative amplifier delivering 3.8-mJ sub-ps pulses at a repetition rate of 1 kHz. We validate that output parameters of the OPA are scalable by means of increasing the pulse energy, decreasing the pulse duration and redshifting the central wavelength.
authors.forename: Pavel
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Malevich
authors.forename: Tsuneto
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kanai
authors.forename: Heinar
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hoogland
authors.forename: Ronald
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Holzwarth
authors.forename: Andrius
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Baltuška
authors.forename: Audrius
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pugžlys
mesh_terms: D001149:Arsenates; D006695:Holmium; D007259:Infrared Rays; D053844:Lasers, Solid-State; D055620:Optical Phenomena; D010710:Phosphates; D013932:Thulium
chemical_list: D001149:Arsenates; D010710:Phosphates; D013932:Thulium; D006695:Holmium