Optical Parametric Amplification using the Phase Matching Retracing Behavior in MgO:LiNbO3 for Generation of Intense Widely Tunable Mid-infrared Pulses

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Abstract
We report on a new scheme for seeded optical parametric amplification using the phase matching retracing behavior in a 7% MgO:LiNbO3 crystal to generate picosecond widely tunable pulses in the mid-infrared range. A regeneratively amplified 2 ps Ti:sapphire laser and a tunable 3 ns narrow-band optical parametric oscillator serve as pumping and seeding sources, respectively. By setting the crystal at a phase matching angle very close to the retracing point of the crystal for a pumping wavelength of 778 nm, a wide tunability from 3.35 to 3.85 µ m of 2.3 ps pulses at a very intense constant pulse energy of 60 µ J has been demonstrated by varying only the seeding wavelength from the nanosecond optical parametric oscillator. The constant energy range could be blue- or red- shifted as a function of the pumping wavelength.