We present a novel all-fiber pumped optical parametric chirped pulse amplifier (OPCPA) architecture to generate self-carrier-to-envelope-phase stable, sub-eight-optical-cycle duration pulses at 7 μm wavelength approaching millijoulelevel pulse energy at 100 Hz repetition rate. The system yields a peak power of 1.1 GW and, if focused to the diffraction limit, would reach a peak intensity of 7 × 10$^{14}$ W∕cm$^2$. The OPCPA is pumped by a 2 μm Ho:YLF chirped pulse amplifier to leverage the highly efficient and broadband response of the nonlinear crystal ZGP. The 7 μm seed at 100 MHz is generated via difference frequency generation from an Er:Tm:Ho multi-arm fiber frequency comb, and a fraction of its output optically injects the Ho:YLF amplifier. Whilethe pulse bandwidth at 7 μm is perfectly suited for nonlinear and spectroscopic applications, current parameters offer, for the first time, to the best of our knowledge, the possibility to explore strong-field physics in an entirely new wavelength range with a ponderomotive force 77 times larger than from an 800 nm source. The overall OPCPA system is very compact and provides a new tool for investigations directly in the molecular fingerprint region of the electro-magnetic spectrum or to drive high harmonic generation to produce fully coherent x-rays in the multi-kiloelectron-volt range and possibly zeptosecond temporal waveforms.

Optica 3(2), 147 - 150(2016). doi:10.1364/OPTICA.3.000147

Published by OSA, Washington, DC