Sub-20 fs visible pulses with 750 nJ energy from a 100 kHz noncollinear optical parametric amplifier

We demonstrate the operation of a 100 kHz noncollinear optical parametric amplifier that is pumped by just a few microjoules of 800 nm pulses with 50 fs duration. The device delivers sub-20 fs pulses tunable from 460 nm to beyond 1 mu m and pulse energies up to 750 nJ when it is pumped with 7 mu J of energy. The design of the single-stage amplifier has been carefully optimized, and the design considerations are discussed. (c) 2006 Optical Society of America