Concepts, performance review, and prospects of table-top, few-cycle optical parametric chirped-pulse amplification

Abstract

Abstract. More than 20 years after the first presentation of optical parametric chirped-pulse amplification (OPCPA), the technology has matured as a powerful technique to produce high-intensity, few-cycle, and ultrashort laser pulses. The output characteristics of these systems cover a wide range of center wavelengths, pulse energies, and average powers. The current record performance of table-top, few-cycle OPCPA systems are 16 TW peak power and 22 W average power, which show that OPCPA is able to directly compete with Ti:sapphire chirped-pulse amplification-based systems as source for intense optical pulses. Here, we review the concepts of OPCPA and present the current state-of-the art performance level for several systems reported in the literature. To date, the performance of these systems is most generally limited by the employed pump laser. Thus, we present a comprehensive review on the recent progress in high-energy, high-average-power, picosecond laser systems, which provide improved performance relative to OPCPA pump lasers employed to date. From here, the impact of these novel pump lasers on table-top, few-cycle OPCPA is detailed and the prospects for next-generation OPCPA systems are discussed.

Carrier-envelope phase dependent high-order harmonic generation with a high-repetition rate OPCPA-system

“…Over more than twenty years, chirped pulse amplification (CPA) systems based on Titanium:Sapphire (Ti:Saph) technology have been used to drive XUV attosecond sources at repetition rates up to a few kHz. Optical parametric chirped pulse amplification (OPCPA) systems [1,2] are based on three-wave mixing in a nonlinear crystal, using as input waves, a stretched broadband seed pulse and narrowband pump pulse of matched duration. The seed pulse is amplified, while an idler pulse is generated.…”

The Application of Cryogenic Laser Physics to the Development of High Average Power Ultra-Short Pulse Lasers

“…A second application for cryogenic laser technology for ultrafast lasers is to build strong joule-level pumps operating with kHz repetition rates, to drive optical parametric chirped-pulse-amplification (OPCPA) ultrafast systems, recently described as third-generation femtosecond technology [156]. Parametric amplification has garnered much attention recently because it generates only small amounts of heat and is capable of providing very broad gain bandwidths allowing the production of few-cycle systems.…”

“…OPCPA has already produced femtosecond laser performance, and is presently limited by currently available pump sources. The need for better pump sources has been discussed in the literature [156,157], with near universal agreement that high average power pumps with very good beam-quality and pulse durations near~1 ps and operating in the near-infrared regions are required. Near-infrared sources such as Yb operating near 1030 nm are expected to provide fundamental, second, and third harmonic pumping at high average power, and the recent intensive development of Yb based cryogenic laser sources seem well-positioned to address this need.…”

Cryogenic nanosecond and picosecond high average and peak power (HAPP) pump lasers for ultrafast applications

“…For picosecond lasers, direct and chirped pulse amplification (CPA) approaches have been used [4,5] . For pulsewidths greater than 5-10 ps, direct amplification may be used consistent with the reduced LIDTs found for ps pulse durations; however, pulsewidths of about 1 ps are desired for pumping OPCPA systems [6,7] , and to obtain large Correspondence to: D.C. Brown, 26741 State Route 267, Friendsville, PA 18818. USA.…”