Fiber optical parametric chirped-pulse amplification in the femtosecond regime

We study parametric amplification in optical fibers for chirped-pulse femtosecond laser systems. Compared to conventional OPCPA operating in bulk crystals, the fiber geometry offers a greater interaction length and spatial confinement, an increased flexibility in the choice of wavelengths for signal and pump beams, and the robustness of fiber setups. As opposed to rare-earth doped fibers, parametric amplifiers potentially provide wideband amplification in arbitrary regions of the spectrum. Numerical simulations are undertaken as a proof of principle for a picosecond 1064 nm pump and femtosecond 1025 nm signal. Guidelines for phase matching engineering are given, and limitations in spectral bandwidth and achievable pulse energy are discussed. (c) 2006 Optical Society of America.