Broadband amplification in non-linear crystals using controlled angular dispersion of signal beam

Recent advances in high intensity laser technology, such as the optical parametric chirped pulse amplification technique, allow the amplification of broadband pulses to high energies, by parametric interaction in a non-linear crystal. In this article, angular dispersion of the signal beam inside the non-linear media is added to a common setup to improve the non-collinear phase matching range. A comparative study of the performance of BBO, LBO and KDP using this geometry is undertaken. Computer simulations show that both BBO and LBO are excellent broadband performers. Although the maximum bandwidth of KDP does not broaden, we show how to avoid its severe narrowing below the degeneracy wavelength.