Femtosecond pulse generation in a Ti:A1(2)O(3) laser by using second- and third-order intracavity dispersion

Area of Science:

• Optics and Photonics
• Ultrafast Laser Technology
• Materials Science

Background:

• Third-order dispersion (TOD) limits femtosecond laser pulse compression.
• Accurate dispersion compensation is crucial for achieving shorter pulse durations.
• Existing methods for TOD compensation can be complex or limited.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of third-order dispersion on femtosecond laser pulse width.
• To demonstrate a novel method for compensating third-order dispersion.
• To achieve significant pulse-width reduction in a femtosecond Ti:A1(2)O(3) laser system.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a femtosecond titanium-sapphire (Ti:A1(2)O(3)) laser.
• Developed and implemented Gires-Tournois interferometers (GTIs) for intracavity TOD compensation.
• Fabricated monolithic GTIs using multilayer dielectric films.
• Employed frequency-domain dispersion measurement techniques for in situ characterization.

Main Results:

• Achieved a pulse-width reduction from 45 fs to 28 fs with intracavity third-order compensation.
• Demonstrated the effectiveness of monolithic GTIs for precise dispersion management.
• Successfully measured the dispersion compensation effect in situ.

Conclusions:

• Monolithic Gires-Tournois interferometers offer an effective solution for third-order dispersion compensation.
• The demonstrated technique enables significant femtosecond pulse compression.
• This advancement has implications for ultrafast spectroscopy and nonlinear optics.