Pulse compression and gain enhancement in a degenerate optical parametric amplifier based on aperiodically poled crystals

We describe theoretically a method of obtaining pulse compression and simultaneously improving amplification in a degenerate optical parametric amplifier by use of quasi-phase-matched engineered crystals. The scheme combines the possibility of increasing the signal spectral bandwidth that is offered by a degenerate parametric amplifier with the ability of engineered aperiodically poled crystals to compensate for group-velocity mismatch.