Douwe A. Wiersma

Optical pulse compression to 5 fs at a 1-MHz repetition rate

We report on the characterization and compression of the white-light continuum produced by injection of a 13-fs pulse from a cavity-dumped self-mode-locked Ti:sapphire laser into a single-mode fiber. Pulses as short as 5 fs were generated at repetition rates up to 1 MHz.

Autocorrelation measurement of 6-fs pulses based on the two-photon-induced photocurrent in a GaAsP photodiode

We experimentally characterize the two-photon response of a GaAsP photodiode by use of a femtosecond Ti:sapphire laser tuned below the diode bandgap. The photodiode is shown to be highly suitable for real-time second-order autocorrelation measurements of pulses as short as 6fs in duration and with energies as small as a few picojoules.

Generation of 13-fs, 5-MW pulses from a cavity-dumped Ti : sapphire laser

We report on a cavity-dumped self-mode-locked Ti:sapphire laser operating on a 10-fs time scale. Pulses with energies exceeding 60 nJ and peak powers of 5 MW were generated at repetition rates as high as 200 kHz. On injection of the output of this laser into a fiber, a white-light continuum is produced that shows great potential for compression.

Amplitude and phase characterization of 4.5-fs pulses by frequency-resolved optical gating

The technique of second-harmonic generation frequency-resolved optical gating is applied to measure the intensity and the phase of 4.5-fs pulses resulting from the fiber-compressed output of a cavity-dumped Ti:sapphire laser. Characterization of even shorter optical pulses by this method should also be feasible.

Easy interpretation of optical two-dimensional correlation spectra

We demonstrate that the value of the underlying frequency-frequency correlation function can be retrieved from a two-dimensional optical correlation spectrum through a simple relationship. The proposed method yields both intuitive clues and a quantitative measure of the dynamics of the system. The technique is applied to studying the effects of temperature and phase changes on liquid-glass solvent dynamics.

SPECTRAL INTERFEROMETRY AS AN ALTERNATIVE TO TIME-DOMAIN HETERODYNING

A novel method of time resolving the amplitude and phase of a transient nonlinear-optical polarization, based on Fourier transformation of a spectral interference pattern, is discussed. We show that with this technique the delay at which the polarization is generated can be retrieved. The method is demonstrated in a transient four-wave-mixing experiment on a dye solution.

Frequency-resolved pump–probe characterization of femtosecond infrared pulses

A novel method for ultrashort IR pulse characterization is presented. The technique utilizes a frequency-resolved pump-probe geometry that is common in applications of ultrafast spectroscopy, without any modifications of the setup. The experimental demonstration of the method was carried out to characterize 70-fs IR pulses centered at 3 microm .

Tunable optimal compression of ultrabroadband pulses by cross-phase modulation

We show how cross-phase modulation between two pulses, combined with optimal pulse shaping at the input of a dielectric medium, can be used to generate nearly single-cycle pulses that are tunable from the ultraviolet to the mid-infrared at the output of the medium, precompensating for dispersion to all orders.

30-fs, cavity-dumped optical parametric oscillator

We demonstrate cavity dumping of a synchronously pumped optical parametric oscillator (OPO). The OPO delivers 30-fs pulses with energies as high as 13 nJ at up to 400-kHz repetition rates. The OPOs tunability ranges from 570 to 600 nm and is limited by the resonator mirror coatings. The time jitter between pulses of a Ti:sapphire laser and the cavity-dumped OPO pulses is smaller than 30 fs, permitting multicolor time-resolved spectroscopic experiments.