Parametric amplification of picosecond mid-infrared radiation

The aim of this work is to produce mid-infrared picosecond pulses with energies of the order of 1 mJ, tunable in the range of 4-10 /spl mu/m, at a repetition rate of 10 Hz. An optical parametric chirped-pulse amplification scheme and a longer crystal are used to increase the amplified pulse energy while maintaining a high peak-power. Parametric amplification (type-I difference-frequency mixing) in a AgGaS/sub 2/ crystal is used to increase the energy of micropulses provided by Free Electron Laser for Infrared Experiments (FELIX), while preserving tunability over the 4-10 /spl mu/m wavelength range.