A novel device designed for pulse shaping, characterization and phase compensation in ultrafast laser systems is described. The pulse shaper exhibits low transmission loss and is widely applicable to lasers with spectral bandwidth from 10 nm to over 400 nm. Pulse characterization and phase compensation is fully computer controlled in a closed loop via MIIPS method. This system is designed to enhance performance of ultrafast oscillators and ultrafast amplifiers including terawatt lasers and cryogenically cooled amplifier systems. Seed laser spectral amplitude shaping results in increased bandwidth while preserving the output power in ultrafast regenerative amplifiers. Subsequent phase compensation enables the robust delivery of output pulses within couple of percent of transform limit. Such system could find numerous applications including MPE microscopy, CARS, and more general coherent control experiments.

Date Published: 20 February 2007
PDF: 8 pages
Proc. SPIE 6451, Solid State Lasers XVI: Technology and Devices, 645110 (20 February 2007); doi: 10.1117/12.707704

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 6451:
Solid State Lasers XVI: Technology and Devices
Hanna J. Hoffman; Ramesh K. Shori; Norman Hodgson, Editor(s)