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Short and Ultrashort Laser Pulses

  • Chapter
Springer Handbook of Lasers and Optics

Part of the book series: Springer Handbooks ((SHB))

Abstract

In this contribution some basic properties of femtosecond laser pulses are summarized. In Sect. 12.1 we start with the linear properties of ultrashort light pulses. Nonlinear optical effects that would alter the frequency spectrum of an ultrashort pulse are not considered. However, due to the large bandwidth, the linear dispersion is responsible for dramatic effects. For example, a 10 fs laser pulse at a center wavelength of 800 nm propagating through 4 mm of BK7 glass will be temporally broadened to 50 fs. In order to describe and manage such dispersion effects a mathematical description of an ultrashort laser pulse is given first before we continue with methods how to change the temporal shape via the frequency domain. The chapter ends with a paragraph on the powerful technique of pulse shaping, which can be used to create complex-shaped ultrashort laser pulses with respect to phase, amplitude and polarization state.

In Sect. 12.2 the generation of femtosecond laser pulses via mode locking is described in simple physical terms. As femtosecond laser pulses can be generated directly from a wide variety of lasers with wavelengths ranging from the ultraviolet to the infrared no attempt is made to cover the different technical approaches.

In Sect. 12.3 we deal with the measurement of ultrashort pulses. Traditionally a short event has been characterized with the aid of an even shorter event. This is not an option for ultrashort light pulses. The characterization of ultrashort pulses with respect to amplitude and phase is therefore based on optical correlation techniques that make use of the short pulse itself. Methods operating in the time–frequency domain are especially useful.

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Abbreviations

AOM:

acoustooptic modulator

AOPDF:

acoustooptic programmable dispersive filter

BBO:

β-barium-borate

CM:

carrier multiplication

CPA:

chirped-pulse amplification

CW:

continuous wave

EM:

electromagnetic

FDPM:

frequency-domain phase measurement

FM:

frequency modulation

FP:

Fabry–Pérot

FROG:

frequency-resolved optical gating

FWHM:

full width at half-maximum

GDD:

group delay dispersion

GTI:

Gires–Tournois interferometer

GVD:

group velocity dispersion

IR:

infrared

LC-SLM:

liquid-crystal spatial light modulator

LC:

liquid crystal

MCP:

microchannel plate

NLSG:

nonlinear signal generator

PG:

polarization gate

POLLIWOG:

polarization-labeled interference versus wavelength for only a glint

RF:

radio frequency

SHG:

second-harmonic generation

SI:

Système International

SLM:

spatial light modulator

SPIDER:

spectral phase interferometry for direct electric field reconstruction

SPM:

self-phase modulation

SSI:

spatial–spectral interference

STRUT:

spectrally temporally resolved upconversion technique

TADPOLE:

temporal analysis by dispersing a pair of light E-fields

THG:

third-harmonic generation

TOD:

third-order dispersion

UV:

ultraviolet

XFROG:

cross-correlation frequency-resolved optically gated

XUV:

extreme ultraviolet (soft x-ray)

ZAP:

zero additional phase

si:

semiinsulating

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institut für Physik, Universität Kassel, Heinrich-Plett-Str. 40, 34132, Kassel, Germany

    Matthias Wollenhaupt

  2. Femtolasers Produktions GmbH, Fernkorngasse 10, 1100, Vienna, Austria

    Andreas Assion

  3. Institut für Physik, Universität Kassel, Heinrich-Plett-Str. 40, 34132, Kassel, Germany

    Thomas Baumert

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  1. Matthias Wollenhaupt
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  2. Andreas Assion
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  3. Thomas Baumert
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Correspondence to Matthias Wollenhaupt , Andreas Assion or Thomas Baumert .

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  1. Department of Physics, University of Kassel, Heinrich-Plett-Str. 40, 34132, Kassel, Germany

    Frank Träger

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Wollenhaupt, M., Assion, A., Baumert, T. (2012). Short and Ultrashort Laser Pulses. In: Träger, F. (eds) Springer Handbook of Lasers and Optics. Springer Handbooks. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-19409-2_12

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