We describe an oscillator-amplifier laser system for the generation of high
-power femtosecond pulses near 1.25 mu m, based on chromium-doped forsterit
e. Chirped-pulse amplification at a 1-kHz repetition rate raises the pulse
energy to >350 mu J. The nearly transform-limited 200-mu J, 135-fs-long rec
ompressed pulses have a peak power of approximate to 1.5 GW. (C) 1999 Optic
al Society of America.