Parametric amplification of few-optical-cycle pulses

The reliable availability of energetic and very short pulses in the femtosecond regime triggered innumerable developments in research and application in physics, chemistry, and life sciences. Now, a new and superior technology reached maturity in research labs during the last decade, the few-cycle optical parametric chirped-pulse amplifier (OPCPA). The concept is advantageous against Ti:sapphire technology in many aspects, and enables few-cycle pulses with multi-kHz or MHz repetition rates. Furthermore, the technique can be up-scaled in average power due to the rapid development of Yb-based pump lasers (see Fig.1 ). This development paves the way to High Harmonic and tabletop XUV generation and new insights in physics and new fields of applications.