Fernández, A.Zhu, L.Verhoef, A.J.Sidorov-Biryukov, D.Pugžlys, A.Baltuška, A.Liao, K.-H.Liu, C.-H.Galvanauskas, A.Kane, S.Holzwarth, R.Ilday F. Ö.2016-02-082016-02-0820090146-9592http://hdl.handle.net/11693/22623In an effort to develop a robust and efficient front end for a chirped-pulse parametric amplification chain, we demonstrate a broadband difference-frequency converter driven by a monolithic femtosecond Yb-doped-fiber amplifier and emitting carrier-envelope-offset-free pulses with the energy of tens of nanojoules tunable in the wavelength range from 1200 nm to beyond 2 μm. Next to providing these seed pulses, the system enables direct optical synchronization of Nd- and Yb-doped pump lasers for subsequent parametric amplification.EnglishArticle10.1364/OL.34.0027991539-4794