Two-color pumped OPCPA system emitting spectra spanning 1.5 octaves from VIS to NIR

We present a two-color pumped OPCPA system which delivers an ultra-broadband spectrum spanning from 430 nm to 1.3 mu m with a Fourier limited pulse duration of sub-3 fs and 1 mu J of pulse energy at a repetition rate of 200 kHz. All frequency components propagate on a common path, thus the spectral phase along the whole spectrum is well-defined. The inner part of the spectrum has been compressed to sub-5 fs pulses. (C) 2012 Optical Society of America