Abstract

Optical parametric amplification possesses many desirable attributes including high values for gain, gain bandwidth, energy, efficiency, and wavefront quality which suggest a potential for generating ultrashort pulse and ultrahigh power and intensity. This can be achieved by combining the OPA with chirped pulse amplification^1–3 in a technique we call Optical Parametric Chirped Pulse Amplification (OPCPA). The key principle of OPCPA is to amplify a large bandwidth chirped signal pulse with a relatively long, energetic and narrow bandwidth pump pulse. If the process is implemented at the appropriate geometry in a large nonlinear crystal, it becomes possible to achieve recompressed signal pulses with powers and intensities orders of magnitude larger than values currently available. The almost zero deposition of thermal energy in an OPA not only leads to low beam distortion but also makes the device attractive in high average power applications.²

© 2002 Optical Society of America