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Femtosecond optical parametric oscillators (OPOs) are widely used in ultrafast nonlinear frequency conversion and quantum information. However, conventional OPOs based on quasi-phase-matching (QPM) crystals have many parasitic non-phase-matched processes which decreases the conversion efficiency. Here, we propose nine-wave coupled equations (NWCEs) to simulate all phase-matched and non-phase-matched interactions in QPM crystals to improve conventional three-wave coupled equations (TWCEs), especially for the situation of high intensity ultrashort pulses and complexly structured crystals. We discuss how to design the poling period of QPM crystal to maximize the conversion efficiency of signal light for a given OPO system. The simulation reveals that the OPO based on chirped periodically poled lithium niobate (CPPLN) with certain chirp rate has higher signal wave conversion efficiency than that of a PPLN, and demonstrates that NWCEs illustrates more details of the pulse evolution in the OPO cavity. Starting from a CPPLN, an aperiodically poled lithium niobate (APPLN) design is available by modifying the domain lengths of the crystal and optimizing the OPO output power via dynamical optimization algorithm. The results show that by using a properly designed APPLN crystal, a 1600nm OPO, when pumped by a femtosecond laser with 1030nm central wavelength, 150 femtosecond pulse duration and 5 GW/cm2 power intensity at the focus, can achieve very efficient output with a signal light conversion efficiency of 50.6%, which is higher than that of PPLN (25.2%) and CPPLN (40.2%). The scheme in this paper will provide a reference for the design of nonlinear QPM crystals of OPOs and will help to understand the complex nonlinear dynamical behavior in OPO cavities., Comment: 23 pages

In this paper, the optimal solution of effective nonlinear coefficient of quasi-phase-matching (QPM) crystals for coupled third harmonic generation (CTHG) was numerically investigated. The effective nonlinear coefficient of CTHG was converted to an Ising model for optimizing domain length distributions of aperiodically poled lithium niobate (APPLN) crystals with lengths as 0.5 mm and 1 mm, and fundamental wavelengths ranging from 1000 nm to 6000 nm. A method for reconstructing crystal domain poling weight curve of coupled nonlinear processes was also proposed, which demonstrated the optimal conversion ratio between two coupled nonlinear processes at each place along the crystal. In addition, by applying the semidefinite programming, the upper bound on the effective nonlinear coefficients deff for different fundamental wavelengths were calculated. The research can be extended to any coupled dual \c{hi}(2) process and will help us to understand better the dynamics of coupled nonlinear interactions based on QPM crystals., Comment: 16 pages

High harmonic generation in solids is becoming an important method for strong field solid state physics research. The power scale relationship between high harmonics and the driving laser is investigated both experimentally and theoretically. Results of the power scale dependence clearly divided the interaction into two regimes. The modification of the bandgap by intense laser proved to be very important for theoretically reproducing the experimental result. Combining with the Keldysh theory analysis, the harmonic generation process is found to be transitioned from multiphoton excitations to the diabatic tunneling.

Tunneling ionization is one of the fundamental electron dynamics, which has wide applications in ultrafast physics. When frustrated tunneling ionization (FTI) is considered, the tunneling rate is not equivalent to ionization rate. However, it is hard to resolve the effects of FTI and direct tunneling ionization (DTI) in ionization spectrum experimentally. Here we report the first observation of the asymmetrical fast oscillation in above-threshold ionization (ATI) spectrum of Argon as function of carrier-envelope phase (CEP), to the best of our knowledge. Simulation results identify that in the experimental ATI spectrum, the {\pi}/5 oscillation originates from the quantum interference of electrons in FTI, while DTI is responsible for the asymmetry. Our results provide clear evidence to resolve the effects of direct tunneling and FTI in a new physical regime.

We report supercontinuum generation by launching femtosecond Yb fiber laser pulses into a tapered single-mode fiber of 3 um core diameter. A spectrum of more than one octave, from 550 to 1400 nm, has been obtained with an output power of 1.3 W at a repetition rate of 250 MHz, corresponding to a coupling efficiency of up to 60%. By using a typical f-2f interferometer, the carrier envelope offset frequency was measured and found to have a signal-to-noise ratio of nearly 30 dB., Comment: 10 pages, accepted by Appl Phys B