Generation of 0.41-Picosecond Pulses by the Single-Stage Compression of Frequency Doubled Nd: YAG Laser Pulses

Abstract

The technique of optical pulse compression utilizing self-phase modulation (SPM) to chirp the pulse in a single-mode fiber followed by a grating-pair dispersive delay line has been very successful in compressing dye laser pulses. A 3X single-stage compression of the colliding pulse modelocked laser has resulted in optical pulses as short as 0.03 psec [1]. A 65X two-stage compression of a synchronously modelocked dye laser has resulted in optical pulses as short as 0.09 psec [2]. We report an 80X single-stage compression of 240W, 33 psec duration optical pulses from a cw modelocked frequency doubled Nd:YAG laser to 3.6 kW, 0.41 psec duration optical pulses. The compression of these 0.532 μ.m optical pulses has resulted in the largest single-stage compression factor reported to date. These results demonstrate the production of subpicosecond optical pulses directly from relatively long optical pulses without the use of a modelocked dye laser.