Ultrashort optical pulse signals generation

Abstract

Abstract Apparatus is disclosed for generating two streams of optical pulse signals having less than 100 femtoseconds of jitter. A Ti:sapphire laser that is self mode locked by using self focusing in the gain medium and a weak HITCI intercavity dye jet for starting generates a first stream of substantially 100 femtosecond pulses. This first stream of optical pulses is split into two parts, one of which is used as a desired stream of optical pulses and the other of which is used to pump an HITCI dye laser synchronously to generate a second desired stream of optical pulses. The pulses of the second stream from the dye laser have durations of about 140 femtoseconds and less than 100 femtoseconds of jitter relative to the pulses of the first stream. Stated differently, if pulses of about 100 femtoseconds duration are used to pump a gain medium which exhibits strong gain saturation, then the pulses which are generated will have less than 100 femtoseconds of jitter relative to the pump pulses provided that the generated pulses have durations which are greater than the pump pulses. In the embodiment disclosed, the laser which is pumped with the first stream of pulses is a HITCI dye laser having a small positive dispersion in its cavity to ensure that the pulses generated by the dye laser pulses remain slightly larger than the pump pulses.

Inventors

• 👤 Wayne H. Knox

Bibliographic Details