Trends in chirped pulse optical parametric amplification

Since the proof-of-principle demonstration of optical parametric amplifier to efficiently amplify chirped pulses in 1992, optical parametric chirped pulse amplification (OPCPA) became a widely recognized and rapidly developing technique for high-power femtosecond pulse generation. In the meantime, we are witnessing an exciting progress in the development of powerful and ultrashort pulse laser systems that employ chirped pulse parametric amplifiers. These systems cover a broad class of femtosecond lasers, with output power ranging from a few gigawatts to hundreds of terawatts, with a potential of generating few-optical-cycle pulses at the petawatt power level. In this paper, we discuss the main issues of optical parametric chirped pulse amplification and overview recent progress in the field.