Efficient visible femtosecond optical parametric generator and amplifier using tilted pulse-front pumping

Using pulses with tilted pulse fronts to compensate for the group-velocity mismatch in three-wave interactions, we constructed an efficient 400-nm pumped femtosecond collinear type I phase-matched $\beta$-barium borate optical parametric generator and amplifier. The signal and idler outputs are tunable from 470 nm to 2.7 $\mathit{\mu }\mathrm{m}$ and have pulse widths in the range of 100–170 fs at a 1-kHz repetition rate. A maximum output energy of 6.5 $\mathit{\mu }\mathrm{J}$ and a total conversion efficiency of more than 15% were achieved.