Generation of <7 fs pulses at 800 nm from a blue-pumped optical parametric amplifier at degeneracy

We generate ultrabroadband pulses at 800 nm from an optical parametric amplifier (OPA) pumped by the second harmonic of a Ti:sapphire system and working at degeneracy. The OPA is seeded by a white-light continuum generated from a near-IR OPA pumped by the same laser. Nearly transform-limited <7 fs pulses, fully characterized in amplitude and phase, are obtained with a chirped mirror compressor. The system fills the gap around 800 nm for broadband continuum seeded OPAs pumped by Ti:sapphire-based sources.