Compact all-diode-pumped femtosecond laser source based on chirped pulse optical parametric amplification in periodically poled KTiOPO/sub 4/

Summary form only given. We report for the first time to our knowledge on chirped pulse optical parametric amplification (CPOPA) in periodically poled KTiOPO/sub 4/ (PPKTP). PPKTP exhibits higher damage threshold and weaker photorefiractive effect than PPLN, and the lower electric fields required for poling permit the fabrication of thicker samples. We demonstrated CPOPA using a novel compact pump source providing higher energy than the previously used fiber-based sources. Our pump source possesses optimum pump pulse duration for CPOPA and is scalable to yet higher energies. The improvement of the present system requires two stages and shorter PPKTP samples which is expected to permit the generation of sub-100 fs pulses at the signal wavelength and >100 /spl mu/J output energies.