We report the generation of tunable GHz-repetition-rate femtosecond pulses in a synchronously-pumped optical parametric oscillator (SPOPO) with extended cavity length pumped by a 76 MHz Kerr-lens mode-locked Ti:sapphire laser. In a SPOPO based on periodically-poled LiNbO₃, insertion of a prism pair for dispersion compensation internal to the linear cavity provides stable output pulse trains of up to 14th harmonic of pump repetition-rate (1064 MHz) with 70 mW of average power for 1.45 W of pump. Near-transform-limited pulses down to 216 fs are achieved with wide tunability across 1500-1540 nm by continuous detuning of the SPOPO cavity delay over 8 µm.

© 2009 OSA

1. P. E. Powers, R. J. Ellingson, W. S. Pelouch, and C. L. Tang, “Recent advances of the Ti:sapphire-pumped high-repetition-rate femtosecond optical parametric oscillator,” J. Opt. Soc. Am. B 10(11), 2162–2167 (1993). [CrossRef]
2. A. Esteban-Martin, O. Kokabee, and M. Ebrahim-Zadeh, “Efficient, high-repetition-rate, femtosecond optical parametric oscillator tunable in the red,” Opt. Lett. 33(22), 2650–2652 (2008). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
3. S. Lecomte, L. Krainer, R. Paschotta, M. J. P. Dymott, K. J. Weingarten, and U. Keller, “Optical parametric oscillator with a 10-GHz repetition rate and 100-mW average output power in the spectral region near 1.5 mum,” Opt. Lett. 27(19), 1714–1716 (2002). [CrossRef]
4. A. Bartels, T. Dekorsy, and H. Kurz, “Femtosecond Ti:sapphire ring laser with a 2-GHz repetition rate and its application in time-resolved spectroscopy,” Opt. Lett. 24(14), 996–998 (1999). [CrossRef]
5. X. P. Zhang, J. Hebling, A. Bartels, D. Nau, J. Kuhl, W. W. Rühle, and H. Giessen, “1-GHz-repetition-rate femtosecond optical parametric oscillator,” Appl. Phys. Lett. 80(11), 1873–1875 (2002). [CrossRef]
6. R. Gebs, T. Dekorsy, S. A. Diddams, and A. Bartels, “1-GHz repetition rate femtosecond OPO with stabilized offset between signal and idler frequency combs,” Opt. Express 16(8), 5397–5405 (2008). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
7. J. Jiang and T. Hasama, “Harmonic repetition-rate femtosecond optical parametric oscillator,” Appl. Phys. B 74(4-5), 313–317 (2002). [CrossRef]
8. J. Jiang and T. Hasama, “Synchronously pumped femtosecond optical parametric oscillator based on an improved pumping concept,” Opt. Commun. 220(1-3), 193–202 (2003). [CrossRef]
9. A. Esteban-Martin, O. Kokabee, K. Moutzouris, and M. Ebrahim-Zadeh, “High-harmonic-repetition-rate, 1 GHz femtosecond optical parametric oscillator pumped by a 76 MHz Ti:sapphire laser,” Opt. Lett. 34(4), 428–430 (2009). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Appl. Phys. B

• J. Jiang and T. Hasama, “Harmonic repetition-rate femtosecond optical parametric oscillator,” Appl. Phys. B 74(4-5), 313–317 (2002). [CrossRef]

Appl. Phys. Lett.

• X. P. Zhang, J. Hebling, A. Bartels, D. Nau, J. Kuhl, W. W. Rühle, and H. Giessen, “1-GHz-repetition-rate femtosecond optical parametric oscillator,” Appl. Phys. Lett. 80(11), 1873–1875 (2002). [CrossRef]

J. Opt. Soc. Am. B

• P. E. Powers, R. J. Ellingson, W. S. Pelouch, and C. L. Tang, “Recent advances of the Ti:sapphire-pumped high-repetition-rate femtosecond optical parametric oscillator,” J. Opt. Soc. Am. B 10(11), 2162–2167 (1993). [CrossRef]

Opt. Commun.

• J. Jiang and T. Hasama, “Synchronously pumped femtosecond optical parametric oscillator based on an improved pumping concept,” Opt. Commun. 220(1-3), 193–202 (2003). [CrossRef]

Opt. Express

• R. Gebs, T. Dekorsy, S. A. Diddams, and A. Bartels, “1-GHz repetition rate femtosecond OPO with stabilized offset between signal and idler frequency combs,” Opt. Express 16(8), 5397–5405 (2008). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Opt. Lett.

• A. Esteban-Martin, O. Kokabee, K. Moutzouris, and M. Ebrahim-Zadeh, “High-harmonic-repetition-rate, 1 GHz femtosecond optical parametric oscillator pumped by a 76 MHz Ti:sapphire laser,” Opt. Lett. 34(4), 428–430 (2009). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• A. Esteban-Martin, O. Kokabee, and M. Ebrahim-Zadeh, “Efficient, high-repetition-rate, femtosecond optical parametric oscillator tunable in the red,” Opt. Lett. 33(22), 2650–2652 (2008). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• S. Lecomte, L. Krainer, R. Paschotta, M. J. P. Dymott, K. J. Weingarten, and U. Keller, “Optical parametric oscillator with a 10-GHz repetition rate and 100-mW average output power in the spectral region near 1.5 mum,” Opt. Lett. 27(19), 1714–1716 (2002). [CrossRef]
• A. Bartels, T. Dekorsy, and H. Kurz, “Femtosecond Ti:sapphire ring laser with a 2-GHz repetition rate and its application in time-resolved spectroscopy,” Opt. Lett. 24(14), 996–998 (1999). [CrossRef]

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