Few-optical-cycle pulses in the near- and mid-infrared by optical parametric amplifiers

The generation of light pulses with duration down to a few optical cycles is a major topic in ultrafast optics. In this work we present three different OPAs, pumped at 800 nm by an amplified Ti: sapphire laser, which fully exploit the conditions and provide few-optical-cycle pulses in the near- and mid-IR region. The periodically poled stoichiometric Lithium Tantalate (PPSLT) allows the NOPA (scheme a) at 1.3 Icircfrac14m, and the collinear amplification of a broadband seed (~1 Icircfrac14m) with the generation of a broadband mid-IR idler at 3.5 Icircfrac14m (scheme c) [2-3]. The beta-barium borate (BBO) crystal cut for type I phase-matching provides a broad gain bandwidth at degeneracy (1.6 Icircfrac14m) for scheme (b).