Degenerate optical parametric chirped-pulse amplifier pumped by an Yb:YLF chirped-pulse amplification laser

Aoyama, Makoto; Akahane, Yutaka; Ogawa, Kanade; Tsuji, Koichi; Sugiyama, Akira; Harimoto, Tetsuo*; Kawanaka, Junji*; Nishioka, Hajime*; Fujita, Masayuki*; Yamakawa, Koichi

We have demonstrated optical parametric chirped-pulse amplification by using a diode-pumped Yb:YLF CPA laser system as a pump source and achieved an ultra-broadband amplification of over 200-nm supporting a 12.6-fs duration (3.7 optical cycles) in spite of being operated around degeneracy. By using a two-stage OPCPA with a higher-energy pump pulse, it should be able to produce a terawatt-class, few-cycle laser pulse without complexly and enlarging the system size. Such a laser is useful for the generation of attosecond pulse generation in the xuv region as well as other high field applications.