The preliminary investigation has been focused on methods for ultra-large bandwidth amplification. These are key steps forward for either ultra-short pulse amplification or tunable amplifier. In our preliminary work, we highlighted that broad band fibre optical parametric amplification can be achieved by using a stretched short pump pulse with a carefully designed chirp (i.e with a time-frequency distribution). The first experimental work has demonstrated 20 nm flat bandwidth at high gain (~40 dB) at low energy but the result was limited by some experimental constraints and not by the physical mechanism. We have already developed numerical tools and a realistic analytical model to best tune the amplifier performances. We have also numerically demonstrated the possibility to generate very large and flat spectral band much wider than the one delivered by standard parametric amplifiers.
Few publications :
D. Bigourd, C. Fourcade-Dutin, O. Vanvincq, E. Hugonnot, "Numerical analysis of broadband fiber optical parametric amplifiers pumped by two chirped pulses.", JOSAB 33, 1800 (2016)
C. Fourcade-Dutin, O. Vanvincq, A. Mussot, E. Hugonnot, D. Bigourd, "Ultra-broadband fiber optical parametric amplifier pumped by chirped pulses. Part 2: sub-30 fs pulse amplification at high gain", JOSAB 32, 1488 (2015)
O. Vanvincq, C. Fourcade-Dutin, A. Mussot, E. Hugonnot, D. Bigourd, "Ultra-broadband fiber optical parametric amplifier pumped by chirped pulses. Part 1: analytical model", JOSAB 32, 1479 (2015)
D. Bigourd, P. Beaure d'Augeres, J. Dubertrand, E. Hugonnot, A. Mussot, "Ultra-broadband fiber optical parametric amplifier pumped by chirped pulses", Opt. Lett. 39, 3782 (2014)