Five-optical-cycle pulse generation in the mid infrared from an optical parametric oscillator based on aperiodically poled lithium niobate

We describe an optical parametric oscillator based on aperiodically poled lithium niobate that generates nearly transform-limited 53-fs duration pulses at a center wavelength of 3mum, corresponding to only 5 optical cycles. Results are presented illustrating the effect of pump- and grating-period chirp on the idler pulses, and a configuration capable of producing idler bandwidths in excess of 700 nm is discussed.