Sub-two-cycle intense pulse generation based on two-stage hollow-core fiber compression using an ytterbium amplifier

We demonstrate the generation of sub-two-cycle intense laser pulses based on two-stage hollow-core fiber (HCF) compression in a compact setup (footprint of 0.65 m x 2.85 m) using a commercial Yb:KGW regenerative amplifier. Spectrally broadened laser pulses with an output power of 7.2 W from the second HCF stage are compressed down to 6.6 fs (1.9 cycles at 1030 nm) using a pair of chirp mirrors and a pair of wedges with an efficiency of 86%, leading to a compressed output of 6.2 W. A pulse-to-pulse energy stability of 0.17% is measured for 10 min.