Optical parametric generation of femtosecond pulses up to 9 /spl mu/m with LiInS/sub 2/ pumped at 800 nm

Summary form only given. Almost all existing mid-IR femtosecond laser sources are based on frequency conversion in nonlinear optical crystals starting from the most widely spread and reliable Ti:sapphire lasers/amplifiers that are tunable near 800 nm. The longest wavelengths that have been demonstrated in a single conversion step were realized in the idler absorption region of a synchronously pumped 100 MHz optical parametric oscillator based on periodically poled LiNbO/sub 3/. Here we report for the first time to our knowledge the application of LiInS/sub 2/ for a single step conversion of 800 nm amplified femtosecond pulses to the mid-IR spectral region up to 9 /spl mu/m.