Quasi-phase-matched parametric chirped pulse amplification systems

An optical pulse amplification system, comprising:

• a pump source generating optical pump pulses having a duration of at least 100 ps;
• a signal source generating ultrashort optical signal pulses having a duration shorter than that of said pump pulses;
• a stretcher which operates to stretch said optical signal pulses so that their durations substantially match that of said pump pulses;
• a combiner for combining the optical pump pulses and the stretched optical signal pulses, to provide combined optical pulses which are substantially temporally overlapped;
• a parametric amplifier comprising a quasi-phase-matched crystal receiving the combined optical pulses and amplifying the optical signal pulses using energy of the optical pump pulses;
• and
• a compressor which compresses the amplified optical signal pulses to an ultrashort duration shorter than said pump pulses.

An optical pulse amplification system, comprising:

• a pump source generating optical pump pulses having a duration of at least 100 ps;
• a signal source generating chirped optical signal pulses having a time duration substantially similar to that of said pump pulses;
• combining elements receiving and combining the optical pump pulses and the optical signal pulses, to thereby provide combined optical pulses which are substantially temporally overlapped;
• a parametric amplifier comprising a quasi-phase-matched crystal receiving the combined optical pulses and amplifying the optical signal pulses using energy of the optical pump pulses;
• and
• a compressor which compresses the amplified optical signal pulses to a time duration in the femtosecond regime.

An optical pulse amplification system, comprising:

• a pump source generating optical pump pulses of a predetermined duration;
• a signal source generating optical signal pulses;
• combining elements receiving and combining the optical pump pulses and the optical signal pulses, and providing combined optical pulses which are substantially temporally overlapped;
• a parametric amplifier comprising a quasi-phase-matched crystal receiving the combined optical pulses and amplifying the optical signal pulses using energy of the optical pump pulses;
• and
• a compressor which compresses the amplified optical signal pulses to a time duration substantially shorter than the predetermined duration of said optical pump pulses.

A parametric chirped pulse amplification system comprising:

• a. a pump source generating amplified pump pulses, comprising:
• a seed pulse generator;
• a pump diode generating pump energy;
• a fiber amplifier receiving the seed pulses and
• the pump energy and generating the amplified pump pulses;
• b. a signal source generating signal pulses;
• c. combining means receiving and combining the amplified pump pulses and the signal pulses to thereby produce combined pulses which are temporally overlapped for a substantial portion of said predetermined duration;
• and
• d. a parametric amplifier comprising at least one quasi-phase-matched crystal receiving the combined pulses and amplifying the signal pulses using energy of the amplified pump pulses.

A parametric chirped pulse amplification system, comprising:

• a. a pump source generating amplified pump pulses, comprising
• a seed diode;
• a pump laser;
• an amplifier responsive to the seed diode and the pump laser to generate pump pulses;
• b. a signal source generating signal pulses;
• c. combining means receiving and combining the pump pulses and the signal pulses to thereby produce combined and temporally aligned pulses;
• and
• d. a parametric amplifier comprising at least one quasi-phased-matched crystal receiving the combined and temporally aligned pulses and amplifying the signal pulses using energy of the pump pulses.

A parametric chirped pulse amplification system, comprising:

• a. a pump source generating pump pulses, said pump source comprising pump diodes;
• b. a signal source generating signal pulses;
• c. combining means receiving and combining the pump and signal pulses to thereby generate combined pulses which are temporally overlapped for a substantial portion of said predetermined duration;
• and
• d. a parametric amplifier receiving the combined pulses and amplifying the signal pulses using energy of the pump pulses.

A parametric chirped pulse amplification system comprising:

• a fiber based pump source generating pump pulses;
• a signal source generating signal pulses;
• a polarized beam splitter splitting the pump pulses into first and a second pump channels;
• a first combiner receiving and combining the signal pulses and the pump pulses from the first pump channel, to thereby provide first combined and temporally aligned pulses;
• a first parametric amplifier comprising a first quasi-phase-matched crystal receiving the first combined pulses and amplifying the signal pulses using energy of the pump pulses from the first pump channel;
• a second combiner receiving and combining the pump pulses from the second pump channel and the signal pulses after being amplified by the first parametric amplifier, to thereby provide second combined and temporally aligned pulses;
• a second parametric amplifier comprising a second quasi-phase-matched crystal receiving the second combined pulses and further amplifying the signal pulses using energy of the pump pulses from the second pump channel.