10 W CEP-stable few-cycle source at 2 µm with 100 kHz repetition rate

Area of Science:

• Laser Physics
• Nonlinear Optics
• Ultrafast Science

Background:

• High repetition rate ultrafast lasers are crucial for scientific research.
• Controlling carrier-envelope phase (CEP) is essential for precision applications.
• Optical parametric chirped-pulse amplification (OPCPA) offers a route to high-energy, few-cycle pulses.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a high repetition rate OPCPA system for generating few-cycle pulses around 2 µm.
• To achieve passively stable carrier-envelope phase (CEP) control.
• To investigate the performance and limitations of different nonlinear crystals in the final amplification stage.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a fiber-laser-seeded Innoslab laser system.
• Generated few-cycle pulses via optical parametric chirped-pulse amplification (OPCPA).
• Employed difference frequency generation (DFG) for carrier-envelope phase (CEP) stabilization and incorporated a piezo mirror for active control.

Main Results:

• Produced few-cycle pulses with 17 fs duration and energies exceeding 100 μJ in a single OPCPA stage.
• Demonstrated passively stable carrier-envelope phase (CEP) through difference frequency generation (DFG).
• Evaluated BBO, BiBO, and LNB crystals in the final parametric amplifier, analyzing their power limitations.

Conclusions:

• The developed OPCPA system provides a robust platform for generating high-energy, few-cycle pulses with stable CEP.
• The system's design allows for rapid CEP control, enhancing its applicability.
• Understanding crystal limitations is key for optimizing high-average-power ultrafast laser systems.