An all-photonic-crystal-fiber wavelength-tunable source of high-energy sub-100fs pulses

Abstract: We demonstrate a wavelength-tunable source of high-energy sub-100fs light pulses where all the key components, including a master oscillator, an amplifier, and a tunable frequency shifter, are based on photonic-crystal fibers (PCFs). Soliton self-frequency shift in a specifically designed all-solid photonic band-gap fiber with an effective mode area of 110μm2 is used in this system to transform a 1040nm, 50MHz, 100fs amplified output of a large-mode-area ytterbium-doped PCF oscillator–amplifier system into sub-100fs, 6.4nJ light pulses smoothly tunable within the range of wavelengths from 1160 to 1260nm. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]