Multi-octave visible to long-wave IR femtosecond continuum generated in Cr:ZnS-GaSe tandem

Journal Article · 23 May 2019 · Optics Express

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1364/OE.27.016405 · OSTI ID:1515613

Vasilyev, Sergey ; Moskalev, Igor ; Smolski, Viktor ; Peppers, Jeremy ; Mirov, Mike ; Muraviev, Andrey; Vodopyanov, Konstantin; Mirov, Sergey ; Gapontsev, Valentin

We report a technique for generation of broad and coherent femtosecond (fs) continua that span several octaves from visible to long-wave IR parts of the spectrum (0.4–18 µm). The approach is based on simultaneous amplification of few-cycle pulses at 2.5 µm central wavelength at 80 MHz repetition rate, and augmentation of their spectrum via three-wave mixing in a tandem arrangement of polycrystalline Cr:ZnS and single crystal GaSe. The obtained average power levels include several mW in the 0.4–0.8 µm visible, 0.23 W in the 0.8–2 µm near-IR, up to 4 W in the 2–3 µm IR, and about 17 mW in the 3–18 µm long-wave IR bands, respectively. High brightness and mutual coherence of all parts of the continuum was confirmed by direct detections of the carrier envelope offset frequency of the master oscillator.

• Research Organization: Univ. of Alabama, Birmingham, AL (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA); US Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR); US Department of the Navy, Office of Naval Research (ONR); USDOE Office of Science (SC)
• Grant/Contract Number: SC0018378
• OSTI ID: 1515613
• Journal Information: Optics Express, Journal Name: Optics Express Journal Issue: 11 Vol. 27; ISSN 1094-4087; ISSN OPEXFF
• Publisher: Optical Society of America (OSA)Copyright Statement
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English