Ultrabroadband optical parametric generation in the near-IR (~135 THz, 1.15-2.4 µm) is demonstrated using bismuth triborate, BiB3O6 (BIBO), in a collinear geometry. The white light continuum energy obtained with a single stage reached 15 µJ (internal conversion efficiency of ≈7%). Integral pulse durations as short as 63 fs were derived from the recorded FROG traces, comparable to the 45 fs pulse duration of the 1 kHz Ti:sapphire regenerative amplifier used for pumping at 800 nm.

© 2008 Optical Society of America

1. R. Danielius, A. Piskarskas, A. Stabinis, G. P. Banfi, P. Di Trapani, and R. Righini, "Traveling-wave parametric generation of widely tunable, highly coherent femtosecond light pulses," J. Opt. Soc. Am. 10, 2222-2232 (1993). [CrossRef]
2. G. Cerullo and S. De Silvestri, "Ultrafast optical parametric amplifiers," Rev. Sci. Instrum. 74, 1-18 (2003). [CrossRef]
3. A. Brodeur and S. L. Chin, "Ultrafast white-light continuum generation and self-focusing in transparent condensed media," J. Opt. Soc. Am. B 16, 637-650 (1999). [CrossRef]
4. I. Nikolov, A. Gaydardzhiev, I. Buchvarov, P. Tzankov, F. Noack, and V. Petrov, "Ultrabroadband continuum amplification in the near infrared using BiB3O6 nonlinear crystals pumped at 800 nm," Opt. Lett. 32, 3342-3344 (2007). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
5. H. Hellwig, J. Liebertz, and L. Bohaty, "Exceptional large nonlinear optical coefficients in the monoclinic bismuth borate BiB3O6 (BIBO)," Solid State Commun. 109, 249-251 (1999). [CrossRef]
6. A. Birmontas, A. Piskarskas, and A. Stabinis, "Dispersion anomalies of tuning characteristics and spectrum of an optical parametric oscillator," Sov. J. Quantum Electron. 13, 1243-1246 (1983) [transl. from Kvantovaya Elektron. (Moscow) 10, 1881-1884 (1983)]. [CrossRef]
7. N. Umemura, K. Miyata, and K. Kato, "New data on the optical properties of BiB3O6," Opt. Mater. 30, 532-534 (2007). [CrossRef]
8. X. Liu, D. Deng, M. Li, D. Guo, and Z. Xu, "Retracing behaviour of the phase-matching angle of nonlinear crystals in optical parametric oscillators," J. Appl. Phys. 74, 2989-2991 (1993). [CrossRef]
9. V. Petrov, F. Noack, P. Tzankov, M. Ghotbi, M. Ebrahim-Zadeh, I. Nikolov, and I. Buchvarov, "High-power femtosecond optical parametric amplification at 1 kHz in BiB3O6 pumped at 800 nm," Opt. Express 15, 556-563 (2007). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
10. M. S. Webb, D. Eimerl, and S. P. Velsko, "Wavelength insensitive phase-matched second-harmonic generation in partially deuterated KDP," J. Opt. Soc. Am. B 9, 1118-1127 (2007). [CrossRef]
11. D. N. Nikogosyan, Nonlinear Optical Crystals, (Springer, New York, 2005).
12. B. Bareika, A. Birmontas, G. Dikchyus, A. Piskarskas, V. Sirutkaitis, and A. Stabinis, "Parametric generation of picosecond continuum in near-infrared and visible ranges on the basis of a quadratic nonlinearity," Sov. J. Quantum Electron. 12, 1654-1656 (1982) [transl. from Kvantovaya Elektron. (Moscow) 9, 2534-2536 (1982)]. [CrossRef]
13. M. Tiihonen, V. Pasiskevicius, A. Fragemann, C. Canalias, and F. Laurell, "Ultrabroadband gain in optical parametric generator with periodically poled KTiOPO4," Appl. Phys. B 85, 73-77 (2006). [CrossRef]
14. S. N. Orlov, E. V. Pestryakov, and Yu. N. Polivanov, "Optical parametric amplification with bandwidth exceeding an octave," Quantum Electron. 34, 477-479 (2004) [transl. from Kvantovaya Elektron. (Moscow) 34, 477-481 (2004)]. [CrossRef]

Appl. Phys. B

• M. Tiihonen, V. Pasiskevicius, A. Fragemann, C. Canalias, and F. Laurell, "Ultrabroadband gain in optical parametric generator with periodically poled KTiOPO4," Appl. Phys. B 85, 73-77 (2006). [CrossRef]

J. Appl. Phys.

• X. Liu, D. Deng, M. Li, D. Guo, and Z. Xu, "Retracing behaviour of the phase-matching angle of nonlinear crystals in optical parametric oscillators," J. Appl. Phys. 74, 2989-2991 (1993). [CrossRef]

J. Opt. Soc. Am.

• R. Danielius, A. Piskarskas, A. Stabinis, G. P. Banfi, P. Di Trapani, and R. Righini, "Traveling-wave parametric generation of widely tunable, highly coherent femtosecond light pulses," J. Opt. Soc. Am. 10, 2222-2232 (1993). [CrossRef]

J. Opt. Soc. Am. B

• A. Brodeur and S. L. Chin, "Ultrafast white-light continuum generation and self-focusing in transparent condensed media," J. Opt. Soc. Am. B 16, 637-650 (1999). [CrossRef]
• M. S. Webb, D. Eimerl, and S. P. Velsko, "Wavelength insensitive phase-matched second-harmonic generation in partially deuterated KDP," J. Opt. Soc. Am. B 9, 1118-1127 (2007). [CrossRef]

Opt. Express

• V. Petrov, F. Noack, P. Tzankov, M. Ghotbi, M. Ebrahim-Zadeh, I. Nikolov, and I. Buchvarov, "High-power femtosecond optical parametric amplification at 1 kHz in BiB3O6 pumped at 800 nm," Opt. Express 15, 556-563 (2007). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Opt. Lett.

• I. Nikolov, A. Gaydardzhiev, I. Buchvarov, P. Tzankov, F. Noack, and V. Petrov, "Ultrabroadband continuum amplification in the near infrared using BiB3O6 nonlinear crystals pumped at 800 nm," Opt. Lett. 32, 3342-3344 (2007). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Opt. Mater.

• N. Umemura, K. Miyata, and K. Kato, "New data on the optical properties of BiB3O6," Opt. Mater. 30, 532-534 (2007). [CrossRef]

Quantum Electron.

• S. N. Orlov, E. V. Pestryakov, and Yu. N. Polivanov, "Optical parametric amplification with bandwidth exceeding an octave," Quantum Electron. 34, 477-479 (2004) [transl. from Kvantovaya Elektron. (Moscow) 34, 477-481 (2004)]. [CrossRef]

Rev. Sci. Instrum.

• G. Cerullo and S. De Silvestri, "Ultrafast optical parametric amplifiers," Rev. Sci. Instrum. 74, 1-18 (2003). [CrossRef]

Solid State Commun.

• H. Hellwig, J. Liebertz, and L. Bohaty, "Exceptional large nonlinear optical coefficients in the monoclinic bismuth borate BiB3O6 (BIBO)," Solid State Commun. 109, 249-251 (1999). [CrossRef]

Sov. J. Quantum Electron.

• A. Birmontas, A. Piskarskas, and A. Stabinis, "Dispersion anomalies of tuning characteristics and spectrum of an optical parametric oscillator," Sov. J. Quantum Electron. 13, 1243-1246 (1983) [transl. from Kvantovaya Elektron. (Moscow) 10, 1881-1884 (1983)]. [CrossRef]
• B. Bareika, A. Birmontas, G. Dikchyus, A. Piskarskas, V. Sirutkaitis, and A. Stabinis, "Parametric generation of picosecond continuum in near-infrared and visible ranges on the basis of a quadratic nonlinearity," Sov. J. Quantum Electron. 12, 1654-1656 (1982) [transl. from Kvantovaya Elektron. (Moscow) 9, 2534-2536 (1982)]. [CrossRef]

Other

• D. N. Nikogosyan, Nonlinear Optical Crystals, (Springer, New York, 2005).

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