Characterization of a high-energy self-phase-stabilized near-infrared parametric source

We present a broadband self-phase-stabilized near-IR source based on difference frequency generation (DFG) of a filament broadened supercontinuum. followed by a two-stage optical parametric amplifier. We demonstrate pulses with energy up to 1.2 mJ and duration down to 17 fs. We theoretically study the process of DFG and investigate the carrier-envelope phase (CEP) dependence on the driving pulse parameters. We find that robust CEP stability is possible even with fluctuations in the phase and intensity of the DFG seed pulse. These characteristics make this parametric source suitable as a driver for high-order harmonic generation and isolated attosecond pulse production. (C) 2008 Optical Society of America.