High-power, high-repetition-rate tunable longwave mid-IR sources based on DFG in the OPA regime.

We demonstrate high-power longwave mid-IR ultrafast sources based on a high-power Er-fiber laser system at 1.55 µm with a 32-MHz repetition rate. Compared with previous 1.03-µm-driven difference frequency generation (DFG), our current configuration allows tighter focusing in the GaSe crystal thanks to an increased damage threshold at 1.55 µm. Consequently, the 1.55-µm-driven DFG can operate in the regime of optical parametric amplification (OPA), in which the mid-IR power grows exponentially with respect to the square root of the pumping power. We experimentally demonstrate this operation regime and achieve broadband mid-IR pulses that are tunable in the 7.7-17.3 µm range with a maximum average power of 58.3 mW, which is also confirmed by our numerical simulation.