Chromium-doped forsterite: dispersion measurement with white-light interferometry

Using a Michelson white-light interferometer, we measure the group-delay dispersion and third-order dispersion coefficients, d2(phi)/d(omega)2 and d3(phi)/d(omega)3, of chromium-doped forsterite (Cr:Mg2SiO4) over wavelengths of 1050-1600 nm for light polarized along both the c and b crystal axes. In this interval, the second-order dispersion for the c axis ranges from 35 fs2/mm to -14 fs2/mm, and the third-order dispersion ranges from 36 fs3/mm to 142 fs3/mm. For the b axis the second-order dispersion ranges from 35 fs2/mm to -15 fs2/mm and the third-order from 73 fs3/mm to 185 fs3/mm. Our data are relevant for the development of optimized dispersion compensation tools for Cr:Mg2SiO4 femtosecond lasers. These measurements help to clarify previously published results and show some significant discrepancies that existed, especially in the third-order dispersion. Our results should furthermore be useful to build up an analytic expression for the index of refraction of chromium forsterite.