Conformal profile theory for performance scaling of ultrabroadband optical parametric chirped pulse amplification

Abstract

We developed a theory of optimization of amplifier bandwidth and conversion efficiency in ultrabroadband optical parametric chirped pulse amplification based on the principle of making the optimal conversion length uniform in time through pulse shaping. Conformal profiles, ideal combinations of pump intensity, seed intensity, and wave-vector mismatch temporal profiles can be found analytically by use of the exact Jacobi elliptic function solutions for signal gain and pump depletion in optical parametric amplification. We derive and investigate these gain equations for the general purpose of aiding the design of optical parametric amplifiers. Using these analytics, through an extensive analysis of conformal profile methods, we find conformal profile pulse shaping can significantly boost amplifier bandwidth as well as conversion efficiency, allowing in some amplifiers a severalfold increase in obtainable peak power. Pump pulse shaping is found to be particularly effective and flexible.