Abstract

Recently, we demonstrated the use of mirror-only dispersion compensation schemes for noncollinear optical parametric amplifiers (OPAs, [1]), covering a spectral bandwidth of about 200 THz [2]. To support this enormous bandwidth, we used double-chirped mirrors (DCM, [3]), which provide dispersion compensation and high reflectivity from 510 nm to 720 nm. Pulses with less than 6 fs duration are easily obtained and are reproducible on a day-to-day basis without any compressor adjustment. The DCM compressor therefore considerably simplifies the use of the OPA for spectroscopy experiments with extreme time resolution. In this paper, we provide a full characterization of the OPA pulses based on spectral phase interferometry for direct electric-field reconstruction (SPIDER). The extension of this technique to the visible spectral range using ultrabroadband pulses is not straightforward and requires careful design of the setup. The results point out the limitations of the present dispersion compensation scheme and show ways to improve its performance.

© 2001 EPS