Abstract

We demonstrate a novel amplifier for femtosecond optical pulses. The output of a colliding-pulse mode-locked laser is amplified to 0.3 μJ per pulse at a repetition rate of 8 kHz by using 1 W of pump power from a copper-vapor laser. Our high-efficiency amplifier focuses the beam for four gain passes through a thin dye stream that uses a Z configuration with matched focusing. Because of low group-velocity dispersion, the output pulses are only slightly broadened, from 63 to 73 fsec, and may be used directly to generate a white-light continuum without pulse compression after amplification.

© 1990 Optical Society of America

High-intensity and high-repetition-rate Q-switched diode-pumped Nd:YLF-pumped femtosecond amplifier

P. C. Becker, A. G. Prosser, T. Jedju, J. D. Kafka, and T. Baer
Opt. Lett. 16(23) 1847-1849 (1991)

Amplified femtosecond optical pulses and continuum generation at 5-kHz repetition rate

W. H. Knox, M. C. Downer, R. L. Fork, and C. V. Shank
Opt. Lett. 9(12) 552-554 (1984)

Generation of tunable femtosecond pulses in a traveling-wave amplifier

J. Klebniczki, J. Hebling, and J. Kuhl
Opt. Lett. 15(23) 1368-1370 (1990)

Multipass dye-cell amplifier for high-repetition-rate femtosecond optical pulses

D. Nickel, D. Kühlke, and D. von der Linde
Opt. Lett. 14(1) 36-38 (1989)

Large-gain amplifier for subpicosecond optical pulses

T. Turner, M. Chatelet, D. S. Moore, and S. C. Schmidt
Opt. Lett. 11(6) 357-359 (1986)