Proposed Approach Based on Optical Parametric Amplification at Critical Wavelength Degeneracy for the Development of 100-PW Class Femtosecond Lasers

At signal critical wavelength, super-broad parametric gain bandwidths can be obtained in nonlinear crystals pumped at degeneracy. Large-size partially deuterated KDP crystals, pumped by green lasers, can amplify ~1.1-μm central wavelength, sub-10 femtosecond laser pulses.