Generation of 63 fs 4.1 MW peak power pulses from a parabolic fiber amplifier operated beyond the gain bandwidth limit

Abstract : We report the generation of 63 fs pulses of 290 nJ energy and 4.1 MW peak power at 1050 nm based on the use of a polarization-maintaining ytterbium-doped fiber parabolic amplification system. We demonstrate that operation of the amplifier beyond the gain bandwidth limit plays a key role on the sufficient recom- pressibility of the pulses in a standard grating pair compressor. This results from the accumulated asym- metric nonlinear spectral phase and the good overall third-order dispersion compensation in the system.