Super-octave longwave mid-infrared coherent transients produced by optical rectification of few-cycle 25-μm pulses

Vasilyev, Sergey; Moskalev, Igor S.; Smolski, Viktor O.; Peppers, Jeremy M.; Mirov, Mike; Muraviev, Andrey V.; Zawilski, Kevin; Schunemann, Peter G.; Mirov, Sergey B.; Vodopyanov, Konstantin L.; Gapontsev, Valentin P.

doi:10.1364/OPTICA.6.000111

Super-octave longwave mid-infrared coherent transients produced by optical rectification of few-cycle 25-μm pulses

Journal Article · Thu Jan 17 00:00:00 EST 2019 · Optica

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1364/OPTICA.6.000111· OSTI ID:1490922

Vasilyev, Sergey; Moskalev, Igor S.; Smolski, Viktor O.; Peppers, Jeremy M.; Mirov, Mike; Muraviev, Andrey V.; Zawilski, Kevin; Schunemann, Peter G.; Mirov, Sergey B.; Vodopyanov, Konstantin L.; Gapontsev, Valentin P.

Femtosecond laser sources and optical frequency combs in the molecular fingerprint region of the electromagnetic spectrum are crucial for a plethora of applications in natural and life sciences. Here we introduce Cr²⁺-based lasers as a convenient means for producing super-octave mid-IR electromagnetic transients via optical rectification (or intra-pulse difference frequency generation, IDFG). We demonstrate that a relatively long, 2.5 μm, central wavelength of a few-cycle Cr²⁺:ZnS driving source (20 fs pulse duration, 6 W average power, 78 MHz repetition rate) enabled the use of highly nonlinear ZnGeP₂ crystal for IDFG with exceptionally high conversion efficiency (>3%) and output power of 0.15 W, with the spectral span of 5.8–12.5 μm. Even broader spectrum was achieved in GaSe crystal: 4.3–16.6 μm for type I and 5.8–17.6 μm for type II phase matching. The results highlight the potential of this architecture for ultrafast spectroscopy and generation of broadband frequency combs in the longwave infrared.

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Research Organization:: Univ. of Alabama, Birmingham, AL (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA); US Department of the Navy, Office of Naval Research (ONR); USDOE Office of Science (SC)

Grant/Contract Number:: SC0018378

OSTI ID:: 1490922

Alternate ID(s):: OSTI ID: 1612965

Journal Information:: Optica, Journal Name: Optica Journal Issue: 1 Vol. 6; ISSN 2334-2536

Publisher:: Optical Society of AmericaCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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