Parametric Amplification of Phase-Locked Few-Cycle Pulses and Ultraviolet Harmonics Generation in Solids at High Repetition Rate.

A high-power femtosecond Yb:fiber system is seeded by a phase-locked Er:fiber source and drives an ultra-broadband optical parametric amplifier that operates at 10 MHz repetition rate. The resulting pulses display precise control of the carrier-envelope phase. Their 8.3 fs temporal duration corresponds to 2.3 optical cycles of the 1100 nm carrier wavelength. Focusing 200 nJ of pulse energy into widegap materials generates optical harmonics up to fifth order. Even in a perturbative regime, strong effects of the carrier-envelope phase on the emitted spectra are observed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]