Noncollinear phase-matching geometries in ultra-broadband quasi-parametric amplification

Abstract

Optical parametric chirped pulse amplification (OPCPA) shows great potential in producing ultrashort high-intensity pulses because of its large gain bandwidth. Quasi-parametric chirped pulse amplification (QPCPA) may further extend the bandwidth. However, behavior of QPCPA at a limited pump intensity (e.g., ≤ 5 GW/cm2 in a nanosecond pumped QPCPA) has not yet been investigated fully. We discuss detailedly the ultra-broadband amplification and the noncollinear phase-matching geometry in QPCPA, model and develop a novel noncollinear geometry in QPCPA, namely triple-wavelength phase-matching geometry, which provides two additional phase-matching points around the phase-matching point at the central wavelength. Our analysis demonstrates that the triple-wavelength phase-matching geometry can support stable, ultra-broadband amplification in QPCPA. The numerical simulation results show that ultrashort pulse with a pulse duration of 7.92 fs can be achieved in QPCPA when the pump intensity is limited to 5 GW/cm2, calculated using the nonlinear coefficient of YCa4O(BO3)3.