Ultrabroadband operation of a femtosecond optical parametric generator based on BiB3O6 in the near-IR

Ultrabroadband optical parametric generation in the near-IR (similar to 135 THz, 1.15-2.4 mu m) is demonstrated using bismuth triborate, BiB3O6 ( BIBO), in a collinear geometry. The white light continuum energy obtained with a single stage reached 15 mu J ( internal conversion efficiency of approximate to 7%). Integral pulse durations as short as 63 fs were derived from the recorded FROG traces, comparable to the 45 fs pulse duration of the 1 kHz Ti:sapphire regenerative amplifier used for pumping at 800 nm. (C) 2008 Optical Society of America.