Femtosecond optical parametric amplification in BBO and KTA driven by a Ti:sapphire laser for LIDT testing and diagnostic development
2017
We present the design of a collinear femtosecond optical parametric amplification (OPA) system producing a tunable
output at wavelengths between 1030 nm and 1080 nm from a Ti:Sapphire pump laser at a wavelength of 795 nm.
Generation of a supercontinuum seed pulse is followed by one stage of amplification in Beta Barium Borate (BBO) and
two stages of amplification in Potassium Titanyle Arsenate (KTA), resulting in a 225 μJ output pulse with a duration of
90 fs. The output of the system has been measured by self-referenced spectral interferometry to yield the complete
spectrum and spectral phase of the pulse. When compared to KTP, the greater transparency of KTA in the spectral range
from 3 - 4 μm allows for reduced idler absorption and enhanced gain from the OPA process when it is pumped by the
fundamental frequency of a Ti:sapphire laser. In turn, the use of the Ti:sapphire fundamental at 795 nm as a pump
improves the efficiency with which light can be converted to wavelengths between 1030 nm and 1080 nm and
subsequently used to test components for Nd-based laser systems. This OPA system is operated at 1 kHz for diagnostic
development and laser-induced damage threshold testing of optical components for the ELI-Beamlines project.
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