Ultrafast noncollinear optical parametric chirped pulse amplification in KTiOAsO4

Amplification of ferotosecond pulses at 1.56 mu m based on noncollinear parametric chirped pulse amplification in a potassium titanyl arsenate (KTA) crystal with pumping at 1.05 mu m is reported. The 100 fs pulses of an erbium fiber laser are parametrically amplified while synchronously pumped by an amplified mode-locked Nd:YLF laser. This amplifier has a saturated gain of 65 dB with 30% conversion efficiency and has produced 160 fs pulses with peak powers of up to 0.75 GW. The system produced 380 mW before compression and can be readily scaled to the multiwatt range with bandwidths to support sub-100 fs pulses. (c) 2006 Optical Society of America.