Very broad gain bandwidth parametric amplification in nonlinear crystals at critical wavelength degeneracy.

Gain spectra were calculated at critical wavelength degeneracy (CWD) in a collinear phase-matching geometry optical parametric amplification (OPA) process. The frequency bandwidth available through CWD-OPA is broader compared to the gain bandwidth obtained by the non-collinear OPA geometry. A solution for very broad bandwidth chirped pulse amplification based on partially deuterated DKDP (P-DKDP) crystals, pumped by pulsed green lasers, is proposed. 1.38x10(14) Hz frequency bandwidth and peak intensity gain G approximately 62 were calculated in a 5-mm long 58% deuterated DKDP crystal, pumped by 527-nm wavelength at 64-GW/cm2 intensity. Parametric amplification at CWD in few-mm thin P-DKDP crystals, pumped by picosecond pulses of nearly 100-GW/cm2 intensity, possesses a true potential for generating high energy laser pulses compressible to one-cycle duration.