High-power frequency comb source tunable from 2.7 to 4.2 μm based on difference frequency generation pumped by an Yb-doped fiber laser.

We demonstrate a broadband mid-infrared (MIR) frequency comb source based on difference frequency generation (DFG) in periodically poled lithium niobate crystal. MIR radiation is obtained via mixing of the output of a 125 MHz repetition rate Yb-doped fiber laser with Raman-shifted solitons generated from the same source in a highly nonlinear fiber. The resulting idler is tunable in the range of 2.7-4.2 μm, with average output power reaching 237 mW and pulses as short as 115 fs. The coherence of the MIR comb is confirmed by spectral interferometry and heterodyne beat measurements. Applicability of the developed DFG source for laser spectroscopy is demonstrated by measuring absorption spectrum of acetylene at 3.0-3.1 μm.