The project aims to investigate new kinds of ultra-broad band and high repetition rate photonic amplifiers with concepts based on nonlinear photonics and ultra-short pulse control. In this JCJC-ANR project, we describe several breakthroughs that we will use to create unique photonic sources with the capabilities required to underpin the next generation of ultra-fast technological and scientific experiments. The systems will give opportunity to reach sub-50 fs high-energy pulses with limited distortion in the visible to the infrared at high repetition rate, opening new horizon for the scientific and industrial communities. Ultra-broad band nonlinear optical techniques will elegantly circumvent the bandwidth limitation of traditional material while exotic fibres will allow to reach high energy level. The project will explore wide and extreme potentialities of parametric amplification focusing on the optical properties rather than the fibre characteristics. The ultra-broad band properties will enable to amplify ultra-short pulses toward the few cycle regime in photonic crystal fibre and spectral tunability will be highlighted for close matching to demanding applications. Scaling to high energy up to 10-100 μJ will be mainly performed in specific fibres. These photonic sources will benefit from the fibre inherent properties not only to develop robust and compact systems with high quality spatial profile but also to reach repetition rates well above “standard” techniques, up to few 100 kHz compared to the ~1kHz rates common in laboratories today.
This project is funded by the French National Research Agency (ANR) in the frame of its lead a
gency program under grant number ANR-16-CE24-0009.