Document Type
Article
Publication Date
3-2024
Abstract
A noncollinear optical parametric amplifier (NOPA) can produce few-cycle femtosecond laser pulses that are ideally suited for time-resolved optical spectroscopy measurements. However, the nonlinear-optical process giving rise to ultrabroadband pulses is susceptible to spatiotemporal dispersion problems. Here, we detail refinements, including chirped-pulse amplification (CPA) and pulse-front matching (PFM), that minimize spatiotemporal dispersion and thereby improve the properties of ultrabroadband pulses produced by a NOPA. The description includes a rationale behind the choices of optical and optomechanical components, as well as assessment protocols. We demonstrate these techniques using a 1 kHz, second-harmonic Ti:sapphire pump configuration, which produces ∼5-fs duration pulses that span from about 500 to 800 nm with a bandwidth of about 200 THz. To demonstrate the utility of the CPA-PFM-NOPA, we measure vibrational quantum beats in the transient–absorption spectrum of methylene blue, a dye molecule that serves as a reference standard.
Copyright Statement
This article may be downloaded for personal use only. Any other use requires prior permission of the author and AIP Publishing. This article appeared in:
Carbery, W.P., Bizimana, L.A., Barclay, M.S., Wright, N.D., Davis, P.H., Knowlton, W.B., Pensack, R.D., Arpin, P.C., & Turner, D.B. (2024). "Spatiotemporal Dispersion Compensation for a 200-THz Noncollinear Optical Parametric Amplifier". Review of Scientific Instruments, 95(3), 033002,
and may be found at https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0187338.
Publication Information
Carbery, William P.; Bizimana, Laurie A.; Barclay, Matthew S.; Wright, Nicholas D.; Davis, Paul H.; Knowlton, William B.; Pensack, Ryan D.; Arpin, Paul C.; and Turner, Daniel B.. (2024). "Spatiotemporal Dispersion Compensation for a 200-THz Noncollinear Optical Parametric Amplifier". Review of Scientific Instruments, 95(3), 033002. https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0187338