Milliwatt-level frequency combs in the 8-14 mu m range via difference frequency generation from an Er:fiber oscillator

We report on the generation of mid-infrared (mid-IR) pulses with a maximum average optical power of 4 mW and wide tunability in the 8-14 mu m range via difference frequency generation (DFG) in GaSe from an Er:fiber laser oscillator. The DFG process is seeded with self-frequency shifted Raman solitons that are shown to be phase coherent within the whole tuning range, from 1.76 to 1.93 mu m. Interference measurements between adjacent pulses at the idler wavelengths attest coherence transfer to the mid-IR. (C) 2013 Optical Society of America