Efficient femtosecond mid-infrared generation based on a Cr:ZnS oscillator and step-index fluoride fibers

Nagl, Nathalie; Mak, Ka Fai; Wang, Qing; Pervak, Vladimir; Krausz, Ferenc und Pronin, Oleg (2019): Efficient femtosecond mid-infrared generation based on a Cr:ZnS oscillator and step-index fluoride fibers. In: Optics Letters, Bd. 44, Nr. 10: S. 2390-2393

Abstract

Femtosecond light sources in the 3-5 mu m region are highly sought after for numerous applications. While they can be generated by using nonlinear effects in optical fibers, the efficiencies and effectiveness of frequency conversion can be significantly enhanced by using ultrashort driving pulses. Here, we report on a few-cycle Cr.ZnS oscillator driving low-order soliton dynamics in soft-glass fibers. By selecting appropriate parameters, sub-two-cyde pulses or broad super-continua spanning over 1.7 octaves from 1.6 to 5.1 mu m can be generated at average power levels exceeding 300 mW. In the same setting, Raman-induced soliton self-frequency shifting has been exploited to generate sub-100-fs pulses continuously tunable from 23 to 3.85 mu m with a conversion efficiency of similar to 50%. These results demonstrate the vast potential of using Cr:ZnS or Cr:ZnSe lasers for powerful mid-infrared generation. (C) 2019 Optical Society of America

• Dokumententyp: Zeitschriftenartikel
• Fakultät: Physik
• Themengebiete: 500 Naturwissenschaften und Mathematik > 530 Physik
• ISSN: 0146-9592
• Sprache: Englisch